Photo: Expected Buffalo
The Washington Capitals acquired left-wing Andrew Mangiapane from the Calgary Flames for the Colorado Avalanche’s 2025 second-round pick on Thursday. The pick involved in the transaction was sent to Washington on March 1, 2023 in a trade that saw center Lars Eller get dealt to the Mile High City. Mangiapane will count $5.8 million against the NHL salary cap in 2024-25 before he is eligible to hit unrestricted free agency.
The 28-year-old scored 14 goals and 40 points in 75 games last season, when he averaged 1:10 per game on the power play (10th among Flames forwards) and 43 seconds on the penalty kill (sixth). His 26 assists tied his career-high, which was set the previous season.
Graphic: @CapitalsPR
In 417 career regular-season games, all with Calgary, the Toronto native has tallied 109 goals and 215 points. The best season of his seven-season NHL career came in 2021-22, when he set career-highs in goals (35) and points (55) in 82 games. Mangiapane has six goals and 12 points in 27 career postseason outings.
With the acquisition, Washington continues their makeover of their top-six forward group after getting center Pierre-Luc Dubois from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for goaltender Darcy Kuemper last week.
Washington gets a boost up front after the team finished last season 27th in the NHL with an average of 2.63 goals-per-game and 18th with a .206 power-play efficiency.
The Capitals, who currently have $7,135,000 in NHL salary cap space with Nicklas Backstrom (hip) expected to remain on long-term injured reserve next season, still have their own and the Boston Bruins’ second-round picks next summer. They got Boston’s selection in the trade that sent Dmitry Orlov and Garnet Hathaway to Massachusetts on February 23, 2023.
The team now has 10 forwards, seven defensemen, and one goaltender under contract for the 2024-25 campaign with left-wing Beck Malenstyn (salary arbitration eligible) and center Connor McMichael set to become restricted free agents on Monday.
Right-wing Nicolas Aube-Kubel and left-wing Max Pacioretty, whose games played bonus will cost Washington an additional $2 million against the salary cap next season (counted in projection above), can become unrestricted free agents on the same day and will not be re-signed, according to GM Brian MacLellan.
Calgary, who finished last season 38-39-5 (17 points behind the Vegas Golden Knights for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference), has traded Tyler Toffoli, Nikita Zadorov, Elias Lindholm, Jacob Markstrom, and Chris Tanev in the past season after all declined to sign contract extensions with the club.
By Harrison Brown
