{"id":384357,"date":"2026-01-02T22:20:12","date_gmt":"2026-01-02T22:20:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/384357\/"},"modified":"2026-01-02T22:20:12","modified_gmt":"2026-01-02T22:20:12","slug":"why-talented-wingers-keep-struggling-after-joining-the-oilers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/384357\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Talented Wingers Keep Struggling After Joining the Oilers"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Edmonton Oilers\u2019 situation with Andrew Mangiapane<\/a> feels eerily familiar. On paper, the signing made some sense. While he\u2019d struggled in Washington, Mangiapane was a proven winger with a previous 35-goal season on his NHL resume. That meant he had a scoring pedigree, which, if placed with the right linemates, could unlock his previous offensive firepower.<\/p>\n

He was brought in on a manageable two-year deal to some secondary offense. He started the season well, then suddenly things disappeared. He\u2019s been completely snake-bitten since, now a healthy scratch and the subject of trade rumors. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s another example of a talented winger struggling to find traction in Edmonton. <\/p>\n

This Is Not a New Trend for the Oilers<\/p>\n

Mangiapane has bounced around the lineup and has produced just five goals in 40 games, far below expectations. In fact, it\u2019s so lackluster, it makes sense the Oilers would already be seeking other alternatives. This is not a team that can afford to have a $3.6 million winger sitting when there\u2019s other options internally or that money can be used at the trade deadline.<\/p>\n

The question becomes, why does this keep happening? And, if the Oilers make a trade for another winger, or they allow someone like Ike Howard or Quinn Hutson<\/a>, will they be any more productive? <\/p>\n

\"MangiapaneMangiapane Oilers<\/p>\n

As Sean McIndoe of The Athletic pointed out:<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s something weird about how the Oilers keep signing talented offensive players to cheap deals that seem like can\u2019t-miss wins, only to see them fail to really click with any of the existing offensive firepower. Last year, it was Jeff Skinner<\/a> and Viktor Arvidsson<\/a>. This year\u2019s it\u2019s Mangiapane, following an iffy year in Washington with an even less productive one in Edmonton \u2014 he has just five goals and 11 points through the first half.\u201d <\/p>\n

Jeff Skinner couldn\u2019t find an advocate in head coach Kris Knoblauch. Comments like \u201cplay better hockey\u201d were used when it was asked why Skinner wasn\u2019t getting more looks. Ironically, Skinner wasn\u2019t playing that badly when he was in. He just wasn\u2019t getting any minutes. Viktor Arvidsson followed a similar path, struggling to produce the same kind of numbers he did in Los Angeles and Nashville. Eventually, and like Mangiapane, he agreed to waive his no-trade if a better option was out there. Ardvisson was moved to the Boston Bruins. <\/p>\n

Related: Oilers Call Up Hutson and Howard From AHL as Trade Rumors Swirl<\/a><\/p>\n

All three of these players were proven scorers at one time who, on the right line, were considered great finds with 20-goal potential. The only problem is that none of that was happening in Edmonton. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s the Minutes and the Deployment<\/p>\n

Part of the problem might be the opportunity these players have with the way the Oilers run their lines and deploy their top guys. On the surface, it\u2019s easy to assume these wingers should play well with Connor McDavid<\/a> and Leon Draisaitl<\/a>. However, they\u2019ll always be a third wheel with a short leash. The Oilers pair up their two top guys far too often in different situations, and that leaves guys like Mangiapane, Skinner, and Arvidsson on the outside looking in. There\u2019s no rhythm or patience for a bad few shifts. If the Oilers fall behind, they go back to the well. It\u2019s either score immediately and frequently, or move down the lineup and get far fewer minutes. That will throw a scorer off. <\/p>\n

It raises questions about fit, deployment, and the pressure that comes with playing in Edmonton\u2019s unforgiving market and in a pressure cooker where it\u2019s Stanley Cup or bust. Every mistake is massive, and confidence can erode quickly. For Mangiapane, it\u2019s all but gon,e and he\u2019s not playing anything remotely close to the type of game he played while successful in Calgary. <\/p>\n

What\u2019s scarier is that the same thing seems to be happening with Trent Frederic<\/a>, who the Oilers locked in for eight seasons. <\/p>\n

Next: Oilers Demote Max Jones, Forward Coming Back Into Lineup<\/a><\/p>\n

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