3 Teams Oilers Have Spoken To About Mangiapane Trade

It is clear that the Edmonton Oilers are planning on moving on from Andrew Mangiapane this season, and the veteran with a no-trade clause, would be willing to waive it to get a better opportunity somewhere else.

David Pagnotta had reported, "Andrew Mangiapane would prefer to move to a contender, but he is open to the 'best fit' for him. The Ducks, Red Wings, and Jets are just three of the teams the Oilers are believed to have spoken to."

The Anaheim Ducks have plenty of cap space and are in a slump. They need something to help turn things around, and although Mangiapane isn't a game-changer, he is a top-9 forward that could be an upgrade to their lineup with a better opportunity than in Edmonton. There have been rumors that the Oilers and Ducks may be trying to figure out a Mangiapane for Ryan Strome swap, but have to make the money work. Mangiapane's cap hit is $3.6 million AAV through next season and Strome has a $5 million AAV cap hit through next season.

The Detroit Red Wings are playing well and fighting for the division lead, but have to upgrade some spots in their lineup, particularly at forward. The top players have had to be spread out a bit to provide scoring from more than just one place, but if another potential scorer is brought in, those decisions don't have to be as drastic. The Red Wings also have a ton of cap space to work with as well as a place in the everyday lineup for the remainder of the season. Moving Mangiapane without keeping the cap would be the ideal situation for the Oilers.

The Winnipeg Jets are now trying the split the top line up strategy to create more scoring through the lineup, but they have still only won three of their past 22 games and it is bad. They are dead last after finishing first in the NHL last season and have no depth scoring outside of their top four players. There is some cap space to work with for the Jets to add, and they desperately need to. Trading is how they are going to bring in someone of use as much has been tried in the lineup this season that hasn't worked. With the extra year on Mangiapane's deal, it seems a bit more attractive for the Jets as well.