NHL Free Agency: Mangiapane Turned Down Offer That Was Double What He Signed For

The Edmonton Oilers did a nice bit of business last week when they landed unrestricted free agent forward Andrew Mangiapane on a two-year, $7.2 million contract ($3.6M AAV).

Per insider David Pagnotta, appearing on the Inside Hockey podcast with Brenden Escott, Mangiapane turned down an offer on the open market that was worth double what he signed for in Edmonton, with a free agent offer from a rebuilding team willing to spend big:

He turned down more money elsewhere. I heard he had an offer out West that was pretty big, in and around the $15 million mark (in total). My guess is that might be San Jose, because they were throwing a lot of money out at some guys. But he wants an opportunity to compete and to win, and he'll have that certainly in Edmonton.

The 29-year-old, who was coming off a three-year, $5.8 million AAV deal, has settled back into being a solid secondary depth scorer on the third line, after his one big breakout season back in 2021-22 when he potted 35 goals for the Calgary Flames (which allowed him to land that big $17.4 million deal).

He's averaged 15 goals a season in each of the last three years, finishing with 14 goals and 28 points with the Washington Capitals this past season, despite averaging just 13 minutes of ice time per night.

Mangiapane didn't think he'd be on the Oilers' radar because of all the time he spent (7 years) with their heated provincial rival in Calgary. But he was thrilled when he got the call from them, and turning down the larger offer wasn't a problem:

"It's kind of crazy. If you told me two years ago I'd be playing for the Edmonton Oilers, I'd be laughing at you," Mangiapane said on TSN1050's First Up on Thursday. "When they reached out, I couldn't pass up on that opportunity. I have this great opportunity to play on a Stanley Cup contender who went to the final two years in a row. They're a great team, I get to play with great players, and I felt like it was a great fit for my family."

It doesn't happen often in pro sports, but sometimes, happiness speaks louder than money.