Copyright yardbarker
For a guy just settling in, that’s a strong start. What’s more impressive is how he’s doing it—simple, straight-line hockey, getting to the net, and making the most of his chances. His shooting percentage has been an almost comical 50%. While that number will come back to earth, it’s also a reminder that maybe the guy should be shooting a bit more often. Mangiapane Is the Kind of Player the Oilers Have Needed More What I like about Mangiapane is that he’s precisely the kind of player the Oilers have needed more of—responsible, gritty, and with enough touch to chip in secondary scoring. He’s not trying to be Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl, and that’s okay. He’s carving out his own space in the lineup, settling into a middle-six role that balances energy with skill. On some nights, he’s skating 17 minutes, on others closer to 11, but he always seems to make something happen. There’s a certain maturity to his game now that I didn’t notice when he was with the Flames in Calgary. You can tell he’s been around the league a while. He doesn’t panic with the puck, he backchecks hard, and he knows how to read a play. Watching him, you get the sense that he’s a guy who gets his role perfectly: bring pace, dig for pucks, finish when you can. He’s not chasing stats or highlight reels, and maybe that’s part of why he fits in so well with this Oilers group, which is learning that the flashy play isn’t always the winning one. The Oilers Have the Stars; They Need the Other Guys to Step Up I’ve always believed that a successful team is built not only on stars but on players who can bridge the gaps between them. That’s what Mangiapane brings. When McDavid or Draisaitl garner all the attention, you need someone who can slip into open ice, someone who understands how to turn a broken play into a scoring chance. Mangiapane’s knack for timing and positioning makes him one of those valuable “glue guys” who hold a roster together. Every good team has one—or several—and you can see why the Oilers targeted him.
