The Edmonton Oilers are tied for second in the Pacific Division and have dealt with plenty of injuries this year. As they look to make a run for a third straight Stanley Cup Final, the team has already made some moves, such as terminating the contract of David Tomasek. Now, it looks like they are moving towards another move, after announcing Andrew Mangiapane will not play tonight.
According to Bob Stauffer, the radio color commentator for the team with 880CHED, Mangiapane is a healthy scratch for the Monday night game against the Winnipeg Jets. Mangiapane signed a two-year deal with the Oilers this offseason. In the first month of the season, he averaged 15:43 of ice time per game, but that has declined. It dropped to just 13:26 of ice time in November and is now at 11:34 minutes per game in December. He has played over 13 minutes just once in the last ten games.
The decline in playing time has led to speculation that the Oilers may be looking to move him. Still, Mangiapane has a no-trade clause on his contract currently.
“I think there is an understanding there that if the Oilers could find something for Mangiapane with another team, where he might have a bigger role, he would be willing to waive (his NTC),” Elliotte Friedman said on this week’s 32 Thoughts podcast. “If another situation can be found, I think Mangiapane would be willing to look at it.”
The forward has not been productive this year, finding the back of the net just five times while adding six helpers. Further, he has a negative 16 plus/minus rating, which is the worst on the team.
The Oilers are 19-14-6 on the year, which is second in the Pacific Division, just a point behind the Vegas Golden Knights and tied with the Anaheim Ducks. As they face the Jets on the road on Monday night, it will be without Mangiapane.
