It was only three years ago that New Jersey Devils fans were clamoring for the team to go out and add then-Calgary Flames winger Andrew Mangiapane in the 2022 offseason, and it looks like they'll now finally get the chance.
Mangiapane, 29, is now out of contract with the three-year, $17.4 million ($5.8 million AAV) contract he signed as an RFA on Aug. 2, 2022, expiring on July 1. The former Flames forward was traded to Washington last June, and that didn't go according to plan for either side.
Mangiapane produced arguably the worst season of his career with 14 goals, 14 assists, and 28 points in 81 games and is primed to hit unrestricted free agency as a result.
Of note for #NJDevils fans: Mangiapane's new agent, Allain Roy, represents Jake Allen, Justin Dowling, Brenden Dillon, Nico Hischier, new signing Juho Lammikko, Erik Haula, Jonas Siegenthaler, Dennis Cholowski, and Mikael Diotte https://t.co/S5MnWBUIFC
— Jonathan Bailey (@ByJonBailey) June 16, 2025
NHL Network and The Fourth Period insider David Pagnotta reported Monday that Mangiapane is expected to test the market this summer, and further evidence to this report is that Mangiapane has changed agents.
The 5-foot-11 winger is now represented by Allain Roy of RSG Hockey, as noted by Pagnotta and as reflected by PuckPedia. Notably, Roy represents Devils players like Nico Hischier, Brenden Dillon, Jake Allen, Jonas Siegenthaler, Erik Haula, and new signing Juho Lammikko.
A tie to his new agent could give New Jersey Devils the edge to free agent target
Many of Roy's Devils clients, namely Dillon, Allen, Dennis Cholowski, Lammikko, and Tory Dello, have arrived in New Jersey within the last two seasons. On the other side of that coin are players like Akira Schmid and Ryan Graves, who have left the Devils in recent seasons.
Oilers forward Trent Frederic passed through New Jersey ahead of the NHL trade deadline as part of a retained salary transaction, and Senators forward Dylan Cozens was reportedly a Devils trade target before Buffalo settled on a different deal centered around oft-injured center Josh Norris.
And given that the Devils have been in the hunt for wingers for the last several offseasons, Mangiapane has emerged as a rather likely free agent target for New Jersey this summer, especially given his connections through Roy, his new agent.
Mangiapane may never return to the level that saw him score 35 goals and 55 points for the Flames in the 2021-22 season, but he was still an incredibly useful and valuable player in Calgary. From 2019-20 to 2023-24, Mangiapane scored no fewer than 14 goals and 32 points in a season whilst featuring as a middle-six winger.
It should be also noted that Mangiapane has finished three full NHL seasons with an on-ice goal share of 56.1% or higher. At his best, and playing on a good, competitive team, Mangiapane can dominate the run of play and score goals at an efficient rate.
The Devils, who lacked opportunistic players, especially in the ghastly bottom-six, could do worse than to take a flier on Mangiapane this summer. Expect Mangiapane to fetch a one-year prove-it deal worth something in the range of $3 million.