The Edmonton Oilers continue to sign disappointing free agents. Last season they signed Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson, which fans were excited about at the time. Neither signing worked out, however, as Skinner left in free agency and Arvidsson was traded to the Boston Bruins. This season they did the same and signed Andrew Mangiapane, who is statistically worse than Arvidsson but plays a similar style.
The first signing failed, but the organization still thought Mangiapane would be different. It turns out he’s not an improvement.
Management doesn’t seem to be learning from their mistakes as they continue to target the middle six forwards in the $3-$4 million range in free agency, but they already had that player in Connor Brown, and they let him to go. Brown suffered a significant injury when he joined the Oilers, so it took him almost a year to find his game.
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Brown scored 13 goals and 30 points in 82 games last season with Edmonton, and has nine goals and 14 points in 28 games with the New Jersey Devils so far this season. By comparison, Mangiapane scored 14 goals and 28 points in 81 games with the Washington Capitals last season, and four goals and eight points in 35 games with Edmonton this season.
While both players are similar in point production, Brown is a better fit in the locker room, and that is a valuable asset. Even when he got injured in the playoffs, he had a hilarious line-up read before Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals, which got the team laughing and loosening up for a big game. He was an important piece and his absence is felt. That’s why general manager Stan Bowman should have prioritized signing Brown over Mangiapane this season.
Brown is cheaper
This is the obvious reason, but Brown was the cheaper option. The salary cap limits the Oilers, so it is essential to save money wherever possible. Brown is two years older than Mangiapane and signed a four-year contract with a cap hit of $3 million. Instead, the organization opted to go a different route and signed Mangiapane to a two-year contract with a cap hit of $3.6 million. While the term is shorter, the value of Brown’s deal is better despite its age.
Brown was thought to have priced himself out of Edmonton, but if the Oilers wanted to retain his services, they would have found a way. However, management decided to spend an additional $600,000 to fill that gap, but was unsuccessful. So why not stick with the cheaper option that you know is a fan favorite and appreciated in the locker room?
There was less risk with Brown, and now that everyone is healthy, Mangiapane may no longer have a place in this forward group. To make matters worse, the latter has a full freedom of movement clause this season and an adjusted five-team trade list next season. That makes moving him extremely difficult.
Oil companies are familiar with Brown
The Oilers know Brown and what he brings to the table. He is a versatile third-line winger who is an exceptional penalty killer and can get to the front and win puck battles. He may not always be on the scoresheet, but he is a hard worker and played an important role for the Oilers. The Toronto native eventually began contributing more offensively towards the end of his Oilers tenure.
On the other hand, Mangiapane was a relative unknown. It’s difficult to determine how someone will adapt to a new environment, and so far he hasn’t adapted well in Edmonton. He has struggled to adapt and find a role in this team. He spent time on all four lines and no combinations stuck.
The 29-year-old has spent most of the season in the bottom six, where he should be, but he lacks identity. He doesn’t kill penalties, and he has the worst plus/minus on the team at minus-16, with the next worst at minus-9. That discrepancy is telling.
If things don’t improve with the newest Oiler, don’t be surprised if he waives his freedom of movement clause to seek a better fit, similar to Arvidsson. That begs the question: What does Mangiapane offer the Oilers that Brown didn’t? Bowman would be better off signing Brown to an extension as he plays a much-needed role in a cheaper cap hit.
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