McDavid and Draisaitl pushed hard for Mangiapane to sign with Edmonton Oilers

Edmonton Oilers fans weren’t the only ones who were thrilled by the Andrew Mangiapane signing.

The 29-year-old hit the free-agent market following his lone season with the Washington Capitals, and agreed to a two-year, $7.2-million deal with the Oilers that will carry a cap hit of $3.6 million.

Mangiapane brings a lot to the Oilers, as he is a steady two-way player who should be given an opportunity to play top-six minutes. Though his offensive numbers have dropped in recent years, he is capable of putting the puck in the net, as proven by his 35-goal season in 2021-22.

Despite the dip in production, it seems as though many around the league, including the game’s best, realize just how good of a player Mangiapane is. He revealed to Bob Stauffer on Oilers NOW today that both Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl called him in an attempt to recruit him to the Oilers.

“There’s a lot of emotions and people pulling you this way and that way, wanting you here or there,” Mangiapane said about his free agency experience. “When you have those two calibre players calling you, you always tend to listen. They’re two great players, and I just want to come and be a part of a winning team and a winning culture.”

Though the Oilers have lost some players from last season, including Evander Kane, Corey Perry, Connor Brown, and Viktor Arvidsson, Mangiapane should help make up, at least partially, for those losses. Whether GM Stan Bowman can make another addition or two remains to be seen, but the signing of Mangiapane is one that should have everybody in Edmonton quite excited.

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