Trade speculation around Andrew Mangiapane is heating up, and Elliotte Friedman believes it’s only a matter of time before the Edmonton Oilers move the winger. While the fit in Edmonton hasn’t worked as hoped, Friedman suggests a deal is very doable based on analytics, contract value, and league-wide interest. Speaking on 32 Thoughts [https://www.sportsnet.ca/podcasts/32-thoughts/], Friedman noted Mangiapane’s poor PDO — often viewed as a “luck” stat — could actually help the Oilers. Friedman wonders whether another team might see Mangiapane’s struggles as more circumstantial than skill-related, suggesting that another organization could view him as a bounce-back candidate. With one year remaining at $3.6 million, Friedman doesn’t expect Edmonton to have much trouble finding a trade partner. To date, the Ducks have been linked, but new names recently popped up on Monday, suggesting the Detroit Red Wings and Winnipeg Jets might also be a fit. Friedman compared Mangiapane’s situation to Mason Marchment, a player who struggled in one stop before thriving elsewhere. Sometimes players need a change of scenery, and Mangiapane has a proven scoring history that remains valuable. Image [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/14db806c-6890-4b40-920f-86726bab53e9.jpeg] DON'T EXPECT FORMER OILER TO COME BACK IN TRADE PACKAGE The Anaheim Ducks have surfaced as a possible landing spot, largely due to their cap flexibility and recent struggles. Friedman believes Anaheim may look to add or retain veterans, especially with Frank Vatrano sidelined long-term, to help stabilize a young roster. With that in mind, Friedman poured cold water on rumors involving Ryan Strome coming back to Edmonton. Strome earns roughly $1.5 million more than Mangiapane, and the Oilers don’t have the cap space to make that work. More importantly, Strome isn’t the type of bottom-six, role-accepting player Edmonton is targeting. Instead, the Oilers are reportedly seeking a grinder-type forward willing to play limited minutes and embrace a depth role — something Mangiapane has been trending toward but seems less-than-thrilled about doing. It's reportedly why he's open to a trade in the first place -- to go where there is more opportunity to play a more prominent role. Toronto has also been loosely connected due to Brad Treliving’s history with Mangiapane, but Friedman doesn’t see that as a realistic option. Bottom line: Edmonton will find a landing spot for Mangiapane. The only question is where and when. Bookmark The Hockey News Edmonton Oilers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers/] team site to never miss the latest news [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers/latest-news], game-day [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers/game-day] coverage, and more [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers/players]. Add us to your Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwn-DfCA?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen] favourites, and never miss a story.
