Maple Leafs reportedly expected to pursue Andrew Mangiapane in free agency

Mangiapane recorded 14 goals and 28 points with the Washington Capitals during the 2024-25 campaign, after spending seven seasons with the Calgary Flames. He was acquired by Washington in exchange for a 2025 second-round pick during a June 2024 trade.

Washington controlled 53.4 percent of the expected goals when Mangiapane was on the ice at 5-on-5 last season, and the 29-year-old would likely compete for a top-six spot in what’s expected to be a revamped Maple Leafs corps.

Daily Faceoff ranked Mangiapane as the 33rd-best free agent available in this year’s class, where AFP Analytics projects that he’ll receive a two-year contract worth just under $4 million annually. Toronto is expected to operate with over $25 million in cap room, while Mitch Marner is widely expected to join another team in free agency.

Mangiapane is a compelling player entering this year’s market, as there’s a clear outlier in his production, when he recorded 35 goals and 55 points in 82 games with the Flames during the 2021-22 season. He’s not expected to contribute 30 goals next season, as the 2022 campaign is the only year where he recorded more than 20 goals in a season.

The 5-foot-10 winger is from Toronto and a potential homecoming could be an alluring factor for Mangiapane.

Treliving is tasked with changing the Maple Leafs’ competitive DNA, as the Core Four era is almost certainly coming to an end next month, and it’ll be compelling to see which players constitute a major change. There’s familiarity between both parties and Mangiapane could provide a jolt to the team’s secondary scoring, which ran dry against the Florida Panthers in the second round.