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Mangiapane takes subtle jab at Oilers: Happy to 'get out'

Originally posted on NHL Trade Talk | Last updated Mar 10, 2026 5:33 PM ET

It was tough sledding for Andrew Mangiapane in Edmonton. Signed as a free agent this past summer, the fit seemed strong in the first few games, but his production dropped off a cliff by around game five of the season, and he never became the goal scorer the Oilers were hoping he would be. Traded to the Chicago Blackhawks at the trade deadline, he spoke about the change and how excited he was for a fresh start.

Mangiapane went to the Blackhawks as part of a deal to acquire Jason Dickinson and Colton Dach. Before his first game — one in which he scored a goal — he spoke with the Chicago media. When he was reminded it’s a different situation again in Chicago and asked if he was excited just to get more minutes and play again, he responded, “Yeah, for sure, right. It was a little tough, I guess sledding there in Edmonton, so I just happy to get out and have a nice restart.”

Mangiapane Just Happy to Get Out of Edmonton

Mangiapane saying he was happy to “get out”, likely sounded harsher than he meant it to sound, but the fact he wasn’t playing often and the Oilers were struggling, it likely made for an uncomfortable situation. He held trade protection in his deal, but he waived to ensure he was moved.

Mangiapane even took a subtle shot at the airport and the travel situation in Edmonton, noting that it was tough to get flights out of Edmonton, so he was a bit delayed getting to his new team. “Not really much flights out of Edmonton, so it was a bit tough to get out,” he noted.

As for how he’ll be used in Chicago, he said he spoke to the coach, who told him to go out there and play his game. When asked what makes him successful and how he would describe his game when successful, he gave an ironic answer. He said his success stems from being hardworking and tenacious, and moving my feet to be hard to play against. These were all things the Oilers were hoping he would do, which he really didn’t.

This article first appeared on NHL Trade Talk and was syndicated with permission.

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