The Toronto Maple Leafs need a jolt to their scoring depth after that was a major factor as to why they suffered their most recent playoff failure. Could this free agent help them in that category?
According to The Fourth Period's David Pagnotta, the Maple Leafs are expected to pursue Bolton, Ont. native Andrew Mangiapane once free agency opens up on July 1.
The 29-year-old winger broke into the NHL as a surprise goalscorer with the Calgary Flames, where he ended up appearing in 498 games for the Albertan club. The highlight of his tenure had to be the 2021-22 season where he scored a career-high 35 goals. That earned him a substantial three-year, $17.4 million contract with the Flames, but he was eventually traded to the Washington Capitals last summer with one year left on his deal.
Since his breakout year with his 35 goals, Mangiapane has had a not-so-good time. In the two years following that campaign with the Flames, the winger managed to score just 31 goals combined and was an average 40-point winger for each season. Not the most exciting of players.
Therefore, he was given a new chance as the Capitals were attempting their aggressive retool. This past season, Mangiapane scored 14 goals and 28 points in 81 games while averaging just 13:02 TOI. It's safe to say that he did not live up to the hope many had after his breakout year.
Now heading into unrestricted free agency for the first time, Mangiapane could certainly return home and play for the Maple Leafs. Due to a disappointing couple of seasons, he would come fairly cheap and it most likely would be a one-year commitment for the player. Additionally, one would also hope that if all else fails, Mangiapane's cap hit is not too large to be impossible to bury in the AHL, as well. That's the worst-case scenario.
According to Evolving-Hockey's contract projections, Mangiapane's most likely deal is a four-year contract that comes in at a $4.173-million AAV. While we don't want to disagree with the math, Mangiapane feels more like a signing to repair the reputation of a player and bet on himself to be a bargain for one year before cashing in on the next. Not someone guaranteed to get big money because he can consistently score 20 goals.
The Leafs are going to have their work cut out for them this summer.