Insider Hints at the Idea of a Patrik Laine-for-Andrew Mangiapane Swap

The two biggest priorities on GM Stan Bowman and the Edmonton Oilers’ checklist ahead of the March 6 trade deadline are to acquire an impactful top-nine forward and move out Andrew Mangiapane‘s $3.6 million contract in the process, whether that be all in one move or via separate deals.

Plenty of names have been tossed around in recent weeks that the Oilers could target, though on Monday, one that nobody had really considered was speculated on. Sportsnet insider Nick Kypreos released his latest trade board, which included Patrik Laine and a notable nugget at the end: a question about a fit in Edmonton.

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Kypreos specifically mentioned that with both Laine and Mangiapane on the trade block, he wonders whether Edmonton and Montreal could be a match to make a deal.

Kypreos wrote:

“Montreal is looking to move out his money and might be willing to spend an asset to do that. The Canadiens are prepared to retain a good chunk (even up to 50 per cent) of his deal, considering they haven’t used any retention slots and because Laine’s contract expires at the end of the season anyway. I wonder if this kind of move could help Montreal open space to do something bigger, and there is interest in Laine because he’ll be coming on an expiring contract. He would be a freebie with upside, whether for a playoff team hoping to find a cheap-to-acquire scorer, or for a non-playoff team like Calgary to get a free look at him before considering him long-term.”

He added, “Edmonton’s Andrew Mangiapane is also on my list, and it makes me wonder if a Montreal-Edmonton match might be found here.”

The 27-year-old Laine is a pending UFA in the fourth and final year of the four-year, $34.8 million extension he signed with the Blue Jackets back in 2022. He’s been limited to just five games played in 2025-26, producing one point (one assist) in that time.

Meanwhile, Mangiapane, 29, is in the first year of the two-year, $7.2 million deal he signed to join the Oilers in free agency this past summer. His struggle to find a fit in Edmonton has been well documented, having registered just 12 points (six goals, six assists) across 47 games.

Does Patrik Laine Make Any Sense for the Oilers?

At first thought, Laine seems like the exact opposite type of player that Bowman and company would be looking to bring to Edmonton. That said, he would fit the mold as a top-nine forward, and if GM Kent Hughes retains 50% of his salary, as Kypreos notes, then perhaps they would at least consider it.

Even then, there would appear to be far too much risk for an Oilers team that needs more of a sure thing when adding to its lineup. Laine is primarily a power-play threat at this point, which is obviously not an issue Edmonton—the number-one unit in the NHL at 31.2%—needs to solve. Sure, he could improve the second unit, but Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and company tend to stay on the ice until they score anyway, so that wouldn’t do much either.

Not to mention the fact that Laine has dealt with a plethora of injuries in recent years, including one that’s held him out for the vast majority of this season, so it’s hard to know exactly what you’re even going to get out of the player when he returns.

The talent is still there for the former second-overall pick (2016), and taking a cheap gamble on that could definitely make sense for some teams looking to raise their ceiling. However, very few teams in the league possess as much upside as the Oilers, so while the salaries could line up to make a trade work, it’s just unlikely to be a stylistic fit for either side.

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