Could Edmonton reunite with former Oiler in a one-for-one trade?

The NHL will have a trading freeze for the next fortnight, but that doesn’t mean teams will sit on their hands the entire time. The conversations will continue over the break as front offices lay the groundwork for what should be a flurry of activity in the week and a half that will follow before the actual deadline.

For the Edmonton Oilers, this means continuing their search for a top-nine forward while also trying to find a new home for disgruntled winger Andrew Mangiapane. Both have proven somewhat difficult so far, but there may be a way to tackle them in one go.

Mark Spector was among the Oilers reporters who floated the idea of ​​a one-for-one trade that would send Mangiapane to Los Angeles in exchange for a familiar face: Warren Foegele.

Spector wrote:

“Foegele ($3.5 million AAV until next season) for Mangiapane ($3.6 million AAV until next season), straight up?”

The 29-year-old Foegele is in year two of the three-year, $10.5 million deal signed to join the Kings as a UFA in 2024, while the 29-year-old Mangiapane is in year one of the two-year, $7.2 million contract that comes to Edmonton as a UFA last summer.

Both players have struggled offensively this season, recording eight points (six goals, two assists) in 43 games and 12 points (six goals, six assists) in 49 games, respectively.

The exchange makes sense for the oil companies

For Edmonton, it could make sense to replace Mangiapane with Foegele. The salaries are pretty much the same, and Foegele is the type of player they want to add to their lineup: speed and effort with a bit of skill and finishing ability thrown in.

That said, the same may not be true for GM Ken Holland and the Kings — or for Mangiapane himself. The abundance of forwards in Los Angeles has already resulted in Foegele being a healthy blank at times this season. Now add in the recent acquisition of Artemi Panarin and he is pushed down even further.

As a result, the Kings don’t need (and probably won’t want) a forward like Mangiapane, and the feeling is likely mutual as he looks for more opportunities wherever he goes.

General Stan Bowman can still try to trade for Foegele and acquire him at a relatively low cost. Including Mangiapane in that package could be difficult, however, meaning Edmonton could be forced to find a suitor in a separate deal to get his $3.6 million cap hit off the books.

Next: The Oilers have found a hidden gem in Connor Ungar