Mangiapane Comes to Washington with Goals to Score

 When Andrew Mangiapane scored 35 goals and had 55 points in 2021-22, the Calgary Flames were so pleased that they resigned him to a three-year, $17.4 million dollar deal the following summer. The Flames had just earned 111 standings points, advanced to the 2nd round of the playoffs, and with a loaded roster thought would compete for the Stanley Cup for the next few seasons. Three years later, Mangiapane was traded to the Washington Capitals for a 2nd round pick in this summer’s draft (the 62nd overall acquired form Colorado in the Lars Eller trade) as Calgary goes to full rebuild mode. The Caps need secondary scoring, and Calgary was selling. But due to some other savvy moves made by the Caps front office, it rmay not matter what Mangiapane does in a Caps sweater. With the trade of the Beck Malenstyn, the Caps may have theoretically won this trade as well.

Drafted in the sixth round of the 2015 NHL Draft #166 overall, Mangiapane has scored at least 14 goals a year and was on a 26-goal pace during the 20-21 season when he scored 18 goals in 56 games. His breakout came in 2021-22 when he scored 35 goals playing on the second line in Calgary. Normally, sixth rounders do not turn into full time NHLers, and rarely make it into the top six. Since that breakout season, he scored 17 and 14, respectively. While the drop in goals is concerning, Mangiapane’s underlying numbers remained pretty steady. His Corsi For% at 5 on 5 (CF%) improved from from 53.0 to 58.8, his shot totals rose from 65 to 185. He had 182 shotsin 22-23, but his shotting percentage (S%) was a career low 9.3%, which could indicate that Mangiapane’s had fewer quality chances quality, perhaps because the league adjusted to him and gave him less space to operate. Or maybe his career year was a blip, a John Druce-like extended period when everything clicks, the pucks have eyes, the bounces and deflections go the right way, and a player seems to score almost at will. 

But whatever Mangiapane does this season in a Caps sweater it will be icing on the cake due to the Beck Malenstyn trade. The Caps traded Malenstyn to Buffalo for a second rounder, number 43rd overall. Malenstyn was drafted by the Caps in the fifth round of the 2016 NHL, He’s a physical, fleet of foot, steady fourth liner who plays a lot of minutes on penalty kill. So, while Calgary turned a second liner into the 62nd overall pick this summer, the Caps turned a fourth liner into the 43rd overall pick shortly after they landed Mangiapane, technically improving their draft position. If Mangiapane scores between 14 and 18 goals, the Caps will have added the secondary scoring they need. If he scores thirty-plus, then it’s a grand slam and may very well earn Mangiapane a contract extension with the Capitals. If the Caps let him walk, they would clear $5.8 million off their books to use next summer (like resigning Jakob Chychrun.) 

The depth chart in DC has Mangiapane playing right wing on the second line with center Pierre-Luc Dubois and left-wing Connor McMichael. Each of those players have something to prove this year. Dubois wants to prove he is not a malcontent and can be a topline center, McMichael wants to prove he deserves to play in the top six, and Mangiapane wants to prove that 21-22 was no fluke. If they realize their potential, it will take the pressure off of Alex Ovechkin and Dylan Strome to carry the team in scoring, giving opponents match up problems. While nothing is certain, it should be fun to watch.