The Calgary Flames dealing Andrew Mangiapane to the Washington Capitals came from an all too familiar position.
Mangiapane is entering the final year of his contract, which carries a $5.8 million cap hit, and while the Flames weren't in danger of running up against the cap, Mangiapane's looming free agency and Calgary's history of seeing key players walk out the door at the end of their contracts (hello, Johnny Gaudreau) meant the team had to be proactive at some point. It chose to do so immediately.
Washington sending Calgary a 2025 second-round pick to add an aggressive mix-it-up goal scorer like Mangiapane makes a world of sense. The Capitals need more offensive depth, and the way coach Spencer Carbery has them play leans hard into guys like Mangiapane having success. Washington essentially beat the rest of the league to the punch in acquiring him because he's a player most of the league should want on their team.
But if the Capitals aren't a playoff team next year and are out of it by the time the trade deadline rolls around, they can cash in on that kind of demand from Stanley Cup contenders to rent Mangiapane.
