With the Calgary Flames looking to build towards the future, several players from their current roster could be on different teams in the coming months. The most talked about of the bunch is Jacob Markstrom, who is currently said to have both the New Jersey Devils and Ottawa Senators working hard to get him, and several others could soon join that front.
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Another player who could be moved is Andrew Mangiapane. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period has reported that other teams have called general manager Craig Conroy to inquire about the 28-year-old’s availability. Before Pagnotta’s report, Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff listed him on his trade targets board heading into the offseason. Given that Mangiapane has just one season remaining on his deal with a $5.8 million cap hit, trading him would make plenty of sense for the Flames, and these three teams are all seemingly good fits.
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes recently suffered a big blow, as it was announced that Jake Guentzel is expected to test the free-agent market. After years of lacking a truly elite offensive producer, they were able to land the 29-year-old, and he quickly became one of their top-scoring forwards.
While Mangiapane is nowhere near the same calibre player as Guentzel, he does put up solid points. He was able to record 40 this past season, but is only two seasons removed from a 35-goal, 55-point campaign, and could very well produce like that again if put in the right opportunity.
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a team with Stanley Cup aspirations, and nearly got there this year, falling in the Western Conference Final to the Edmonton Oilers in a series that went six games. They have some great young talent thanks to fantastic drafting, but may need to replace a few of their top producers from this past season.
Though he has yet to make an official announcement, Joe Pavelski told reporters following the Stars’ playoff exit that he will be retiring, while Matt Duchene is a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA). The two combined for 52 goals and 132 points this past season, and will be sorely missed if they don’t return.
New York Islanders
For many years, the New York Islanders have been a team who have had to scrap and claw their way during the regular season in hopes of getting into the playoffs. They’ve somehow been able to get there in each of the past two seasons, but have had quick exits, mainly due to a lack of offence.
Though the Islanders do have a lot of players on expiring contracts, none are going to cost a lot to retain should Lou Lamoriello wish to bring them back. Fitting in Mangiapane wouldn’t be difficult, especially if they trade Semyon Varlamov in order to free up some more space.
Mangiapane Won’t Cost a Lot
Due to his relatively big $5.8 million cap hit, teams interested in acquiring Mangiapane won’t have to pay a lot to do so. He is far cheaper than some of the other scoring forwards expected to be available this summer, and the fact that he has just one season remaining on his contract not only helps the price stay low, but makes acquiring him far less risky.
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Losing Mangiapane will be a tough pill to swallow, as he appeared to be on track to be a very good goal scorer in the NHL. Unfortunately, two down seasons in a row seem to have the Flames strongly considering moving on, though it’s hard to blame them based on the recent results. Perhaps he will go on and get back to the form he showed in 2021-22 elsewhere, but it’s becoming more and more evident that he isn’t going to hit those same highs again in Calgary.
