The Edmonton Oilers placed forward Andrew Mangiapane and defenseman Alec Regula on waivers Sunday, according to team announcements, as the club appears to be maneuvering for potential moves ahead of the NHL trade deadline. The Vancouver Canucks, St. Louis Blues and Florida Panthers also placed players on waivers, signaling a busy day of roster adjustments across the league.
Mangiapane’s placement on waivers is particularly notable, given the expectations surrounding his arrival in Edmonton. The Oilers signed the nine-year veteran to a two-year, $7.2 million contract on July 1, hoping he would bolster their offensive depth behind stars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. However, the 30-year-old Toronto native has produced just seven goals and seven assists in 52 games this season, accompanied by a career-worst plus/minus of -19. He has also been a frequent healthy scratch.
Despite a career spanning 550 games with the Calgary Flames, Washington Capitals, and now the Oilers, where he has accumulated 257 points (130 goals, 127 assists), Mangiapane has failed to discover a consistent role in Edmonton’s lineup. He was originally selected by Calgary in the sixth round of the 2015 NHL draft, 166th overall.
Regula, in his first season with the Oilers, has also struggled to make an impact, registering three assists and a minus-16 rating in 29 games. He recently completed a conditioning stint in the American Hockey League.
Elsewhere, the St. Louis Blues waived forward Robby Fabbri, who has one goal and three assists in 15 games this season. Fabbri, a former first-round pick, has been hampered by injuries throughout his career. The Florida Panthers placed forward Luke Kunin on waivers, after he recorded two goals and two assists in 44 games. Vancouver Canucks defenseman Guillaume Brisebois was also waived, having not appeared in a game for the Canucks this season.
The flurry of waiver activity suggests teams are attempting to free up cap space and assess their roster options as the March 8th trade deadline approaches. The Oilers, in particular, are widely expected to be active in the trade market, and placing Mangiapane and Regula on waivers could be a precursor to acquiring additional players.
