When word first trickled out that the Edmonton Oilers were exploring the possibility of moving on from free agent acquisition, Andrew Mangiapane, there were two clear paths ahead for the team and player.
They could find a new location for the 29 year old and sell-low on his struggling season or they could keep him and try to make it work. Unfortunately, it seems like the first option is the only one being considered at this stage.
Mangiapane has been a healthy scratch for three straight games and that situation does not appear to be resolving anytime soon. He has been tried on various different lines throughout the season by head coach Kris Knoblauch.
He has played next to captain Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and many other Oilers players but there has not been a good fit up or down the lineup.
Where will Mangiapane land?
There have been many rumoured locations for Mangiapane and the Oilers, two destinations in particular stand out, being the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Anaheim Ducks. They both have struggling players of their own that could be used to swap with Mangiapane. There have been many more named teams as well by various insiders.
Columbus Blue Jackets
It has been suggested by NHL insiders that Oilers general manager Stan Bowman has shown interest in Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner. Including Mangiapane in the deal would give Columbus the ability to include an NHL proven player into their lineup immediately as well, allow them to buy-low on a player who would likely be given a higher role in their lineup.
The deal would likely need to be bigger than just a straight one-for-one swap but with those two players trading places as the basis of the deal makes some sense.
Winnipeg Jets
Initially connected to the Jets by insider Pierre LeBrun, on a recent episode of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, Sportsnet NHL insider Elliotte Friedman also named them as a potential fit.
The Jets are at the bottom of the NHL standings and adding some depth scoring could help give them a boost. Looking at their salary cap outlook when fully healthy they also have over $3.6 million in cap space, allowing them to take on the entirety of Mangiapane's caphit.
The fit seems good and as long as they are able to come to an agreement on a price, it likely will not be too high.
Boston Bruins
It was reported by David Pagnotta of the Fourth Period over the summer that the Boston Bruins were amongst the teams interested in signing Mangiapane before the Oilers won the bidding war. It is quite possible that Don Sweeney and the Bruins would still be interested only a few months later.
The Bruins are a team in the midst of a retool or rebuild and buying low on an asset and potentially later flipping him could be a good plan for them. They also have the ability to give Mangiapane a better opportunity than the Oilers can give him.
There is a clear path to all three parties being happy with the outcome.
San Jose Sharks
In addition to the Jets, Friedman reported that the San Jose Sharks are a team that has shown interest in Mangiapane. They are a team that is trying to exit their rebuild after gathering plenty of top picks in recent drafts like; Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, Michael Misa, and Sam Dickinson amongst others.
Now that they are making a push for a playoff spot this year, they can afford to give up draft capital and again, buying low on a player who has shown to be a productive NHL forward is a good bet. Also, they have the ability to give Mangiapane a chance to prove himself on an NHL roster, one that the Oilers cannot give him.
The Mangiapane trade timeline
As Friedman said in his recent podcast episode on Mangiapane "I think they will be able to trade him, I just don't have a good timeline on it. But I have heard there is interest,"
Although it would not seem like an urgent matter to address, given the Oilers coaching staff continues to make him a healthy scratch, it cannot help his potential trade value. The longer he sits the worse it looks for both the player and the team and something needs to give.
It is unclear when Mangiapane does get dealt but it is best for all parties involved that the issue is resolved sooner rather than later. It is not all bad however, if the Oilers are able to facilitate a move for him, it will help them in future free agency periods attract talent as they are showing a willingness to fix their mistakes and give a player the best opportunity to succeed.