After losing several forwards through trade and free agency on Canada Day, the Edmonton Oilers have signed two forwards who are well-acquainted with playing hockey in Alberta to contracts.
Late Tuesday night, the team announced via social media that veteran winger Andrew Mangiapane has agreed to a two-year deal with the NHL club, with an average annual value of $3.6 million.
Late Wednesday morning, the Oilers announced the signing of another veteran forward who Edmonton hockey fans will know well, centre Curtis Lazar.
Mangiapane, a 29-year-old Toronto native, will be a familiar face for Oilers fans as he spent seven seasons playing for Edmonton’s provincial rivals, the Calgary Flames. His best offensive year with the Flames came in 2021-22 when he accumulated 35 goals and 55 points over an 82-game season.
“It’s going to be fun to participate in the Battle of Alberta again,” Mangiapane told reporters on a video call on Wednesday. “I think this was just a great fit for me.
“Obviously, Edmonton has a great team. I just want to come here and play my game and just kind of help the team whatever way possible to win.”
Mangiapane also acknowledged that under the leadership of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, the Oilers continue their quest to win their first Stanley Cup championship since 1990 and that he hopes to “get them over the finish line this year.”
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Mangiapane, who was named the MVP of the 2021 IIHF World Championship when he played for Team Canada, was traded to the Washington Capitals last summer. In his only season in D.C., he scored 14 goals and collected 14 assists in 81 regular season games.
When asked what line he expects to play on this season, Mangiapane said he feels comfortable up and down the lineup as well as on the power play and the penalty kill. He said while he will be fine with wherever head coach Kris Knoblauch puts him, he would love the chance to try playing with McDavid or Draisaitl.
“Last year was a bit of a down year for me, but I think I can get back right back to where I’ve been and what I can do.”
Mangiapane said that like he did with the Flames, he still centres his game around being tenacious, hardworking and being a good forechecker, but added that he has learned to take fewer penalties.
“(I like) trying to get in there and just start things — hit guys on the forecheck, maybe start some scrums and just get involved in the game that way,” he said. “That really helps out my game, just being more involved.
“Being annoying to play against, I think that’s what kind of makes me successful.”
When asked about how he responds to the additional pressure that sometimes comes with playing for an NHL team in a Canadian city, Mangiapane suggested it does not pose a problem for him.
“It’s an exciting time to be an Oiler and be playing in a Canadian market,” he said. “Obviously that comes with the pressure from the fans and everything.”
Mangiapane said while some players can just block it out, he enjoys watching hockey and using social media apps so it would be hard for him to ignore the pressure. He said he just has ways of coping with it.
“I just try to not let it change the way I need to play,” he said. “You’re going to have ups and downs in a season.
“(I just don’t) get too high or get too low.”
Lazar returns to city where he played in WHL
Lazar, a 30-year-old B.C., native, signed a one-year contract worth $775,000.
Lazar, who was selected 17th overall by the Ottawa Senators in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, has played 572 games over the course of his NHL career, but spent his junior career before that starring for the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings. In 2014, he helped the team win the Memorial Cup.
Lazar, who has a right-hand shot, has spent time with six different clubs over the course of his career, most recently with the New Jersey Devils. Lazar, who has scored 47 goals and put up 125 points during his NHL career, has generally not been put in offensive roles.
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