The Edmonton Oilers didn’t bring in Andrew Mangiapane and Trent Frederic to cause headaches for the lineup. They had to be solutions. Instead, both will watch from the press box Tuesday night against the Nashville Predators — a blunt admission that things have gone terribly off the rails.
We’ll get confirmation this morning at the Oilers’ optional pre-game skate, but early indications are that both Mangiapane and Frederic will have healthy scratches, a combined offseason investment of more than $7 million on hold as the Oilers try to stabilize a roster with Stanley Cup expectations.
For Mangiapane, a trade is likely just around the corner. This could be eight long years for Frederic.
Mangiapane is out as trade protection
For Mangiapane, the message feels transactional. The Oilers are likely protecting their investment as they work on a trade that will send him to the Anaheim Ducks, Winnipeg Jets or Toronto Maple Leafs (at least those are the three rumored teams).
Scratched for the second time in three games, his role has steadily diminished as his production failed to match his $3.6 million salary. In a team where production is a must and where efficiency is important, his leash was not long. The Oilers didn’t acquire him as a fourth-line luxury, and when he was hired it was made clear that if things didn’t work out, the Oilers would quickly turn around no matter what they do.
Frederic is gone because he just doesn’t get it
Frederic’s situation is much more awkward. He is in the first year of an eight-year contract and the Oilers have tried to send message after message. It seems like they are trying to squeeze something out of a player that they thought was in his nature, but may not be there at all.
Frederic was brought in for his sharpness, physicality and play-off-style play, but this season he has shown little more than a willingness to not get involved or disrupt. He’s clearly not the next successor to Evander Kane or Corey Perry, and the Oilers realize he’s not skilled enough to be anything other than a threat. Since he doesn’t agree, it’s hard to justify even the bottom six minutes a night.
Between the two players, it’s a lot of money that the Oilers are getting nothing out of. Every penny in Edmonton counts and Frederic and Mangiapane are a lot of pennies.
Soon half of that money (Mangiapane) will be gone and off the books. As for Frederik? The Oilers will have to figure something out.
The Oilers are done waiting. With Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in their prime but the team looking less like a Cup contender than it ever has in the past three seasons, having over $7 million in “fixes” isn’t just frustrating — it’s a potential season-ender.
Next: Oilers Quick Hits: Walman, Stastney, Kapanen, Hutson and Mangiapane trade spots
#Oilers #commit #million #fixes #brazen #offseason #bets #unravel