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Maple Leafs Furious After Losing Top Free Agent to Edmonton Oilers in Shocking Twist

Originally posted on Blade of Steel | By Tom Banks | Last updated Jul 5, 2025 11:28 AM ET

The Edmonton Oilers landed Andrew Mangiapane in free agency, and according to reports, the Maple Leafs were frustrated by missing out on the Ontario kid, whom they at one stage believed they would be landing as a free agent.

The past few weeks in the NHL have been absolute chaos, with plenty of players changing teams via trades or free agency, although teams around Canada beyond Montreal failed to make significant moves.

The Edmonton Oilers however made one move, landing former Calgary Flames rival Andrew Mangiapane on a two-year deal, landing a replacement for Evander Kane and/or Corey Perry in their top-six.

While it wasn't the biggest blockbuster of a move, it did allow them to pick up a good replacement for two veterans that moved on, but it did accomplish something else too: it frustrated the Toronto Maple Leafs.

According to reports from TSN's Chris Johnston, the Maple Leafs believed they would be landing Mangiapane, and after they missed out on him, they were seemingly furious.

'They definitely had interest, you know, and there were some teams yesterday, I know, that thought he was actually going to Toronto. But you know, ultimately, obviously, Edmonton managed to land him.'

Toronto did manage to extend Matthew Knies, but with Mitch Marner on the way out, they had a gaping hole in their top-six, but now, they'll rely on young forward Matias Maccelli, whom they acquired in a deal with the Utah Mammoth to fill that role.

Reportedly, Mangiapane was put off by the reality of playing in his home town market, and now, he joins a team with Stanley Cup ambitions in 2025/26, and we will see how the fans react when Edmonton visit the Maple Leafs on the road.

This article first appeared on Blade of Steel and was syndicated with permission.

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