Flames trade Andrew Mangiapane to Capitals: Why Calgary made this move

Apr 9, 2024; San Jose, California, USA; Calgary Flames left wing Andrew Mangiapane (88) during a break in the action against the San Jose Sharks during overtime at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-USA TODAY Sports
By Julian McKenzie
Jun 28, 2024

The Calgary Flames have traded Andrew Mangiapane to the Washington Capitals for a 2025 second-round pick.

Mangiapane is entering the final season of a three-year deal with a $5.8 million AAV signed in August 2022. It came after a career season for the winger where he scored 35 goals and 55 points in 82 games. The forward didn’t match that goal-scoring output over the next two seasons, however. He scored 31 goals over his next two seasons. Last season, he scored 14 goals and 40 points in 75 games.

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Mangiapane has spent his entire seven-year career to this point with the Flames. He was selected by Calgary in the sixth round of the 2015 draft.

The 2025 second-round pick originally belonged to the Colorado Avalanche. The Capitals acquired the pick in March 2023 for veteran center Lars Eller.

Calgary now has four picks (two firsts and two seconds) in the first two rounds of the 2025 NHL Draft. That’s with the understanding that the Flames still stand to lose a first in next year’s draft by virtue of the Sean Monahan trade.

The Flames now have just under $29 million in cap space, according to CapFriendly.

Why the Flames made this move

Mangiapane was destined for a change of scenery for a few reasons.

At 28, Mangiapane isn’t a young piece the Flames are trying to build around. That the Flames were able to shed his $5.8 million AAV without retaining salary is also a win. Calgary will also benefit long-term with a second-round pick that can help the retool.

It is still a bit of a downer that Mangiapane didn’t regain his 2022 form where he scored 35 goals. A nagging wrist injury hurt him during the 2022-23 season and he still couldn’t get closer to that ideal form in 2023-24. But his usage went beyond goals, as he was one-third of the team’s most consistent, two-way line alongside Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman.

Required reading

What I’m hearing about the Calgary Flames’ draft plans, UFA and trade possibilities

(Photo: David Gonzales / USA Today)

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Julian McKenzie

Julian McKenzie is a staff writer for The Athletic's NHL vertical and is based in Calgary. He also hosts The Chris Johnston Show with The Athletic's Chris Johnston. Julian's work can also be found in the New York Times, FiveThirtyEight, CTV Montreal, The Canadian Press, TSN 690, the Montreal Gazette, The Sporting News and in other publications. Follow Julian on Twitter @jkamckenzie