Edmonton Oilers hit roadblock trying to trade Andrew Mangiapane

Mangiapane was supposed to be the motor that fixed the middle-six, but he has turned into a total anchor. He is eating up a premium price tag of $3.6 million while giving the team almost nothing in return.

The rumors are flying and none of them are good for Stan Bowman. Pierre LeBrun is reporting that while the Winnipeg Jets and Ottawa Senators are kicking tires, the leverage is gone. Teams aren't just looking for a player; they're asking the Oilers to pay them to take the contract.

Look at the production. Or the lack of it. He has managed just 6 goals and 6 assists in 47 games. That is a disaster for a guy who once looked like a star. The kid the Calgary Flames took in the 6th round, #166 overall, back in 2015 seems to have lost his touch entirely.

He is sitting with a brutal -19 rating. That's not just a slump; that’s a liability. It’s no wonder he has been a regular healthy scratch lately. Why would a contender want to add a guy who can’t even crack the Oilers' bottom six right now?

The roster freeze is coming on February 4 and the Oilers are stuck. They need the space to chase a piece like Bobby McMann, but they can't move the money. Some insiders suggest it might take a high draft pick just to convince a team to swallow the final year of his deal.

Bowman is working the phones, but everyone knows he's desperate. He is trying to avoid a buyout or a massive overpay in a trade. But if Mangiapane doesn't find his game in a hurry, the Oilers are going to have to bite a very expensive bullet.

The clock is ticking. This was a gamble that failed, and now the bill is coming due at the worst possible time.

Also read on House Of Hockey :
Oilers' Leon Draisaitl breaks his silence on leave of absence last month