Many years from now, when you’re out in Edmonton and spot a rare Viktor Arvidsson Oilers jersey out in the wild, you’ll probably think, “Oh yeah, he used to play here!” The Swedish forward only lasted one season in Oil Country before the Edmonton Oilers traded him and his $4 million cap hit to the Boston Bruins on July 1st.
Much later in the day on July 1, the Oilers signed Andrew Mangiapane to a 2-year, $7.2 million contract, worth $3.6 million annually, in what appeared to be a move to fill Arvidsson’s spot in the Oilers’ top nine.
Both players are similar in that they’re smaller in stature at 5-foot-10, have experience playing in the top six, and have had successful offensive seasons in the NHL. Below, we’ll take a closer look at how these two measure up.
Oilers Lose Some Speed but Add More Physicality with Mangiapane
According to NHL Edge data, Mangiapane’s top skating speed during last year’s 10-game playoff run with the Washington Capitals was 21.25 MPH, ranking below the 50th percentile league-wide. However, in the regular season, his max speed was 22.54 MPH, placing him in the 64th percentile, so perhaps he was dealing with a lingering ailment in the playoffs, or he just simply never hit his full stride. That said, his 106 speed bursts over 20 MPH ranked in the 71st percentile across the NHL.
In saying that, the data shows the Oilers are losing a bit of speed with Arvidsson gone. The Swede’s top skating speed during the regular season was 23.11 MPH, ranking in the 88th percentile league-wide. In the playoffs, he hit a peak speed of 23.90 MPH, which placed him in the top 99th percentile.
However, what the Oilers lose in speed with Arvidsson is that they’re gaining in physicality with Mangiapane. According to Natural Stat Trick, Mangiapane delivered 4.21 hits per 60 minutes during the regular season, which nearly doubled in the playoffs to 8.03, showing the 29-year-old elevates his intensity in the postseason. That’s in contrast to Arvidsson, who recorded 1.91 hits per 60 in the regular season and 3.73 in the playoffs.
Also, the 5-foot-10 forward brings a little bit of feistiness to his game, evident in the extracurricular activities he was involved in after the whistle with Colin Miller, as shown in the clip above.
Arvidsson’s Shot Is Harder, Mangiapane’s More Accurate
Mangiapane scored 14 goals in 82 regular-season games last season, mostly playing alongside Lars Eller (403 minutes) at 5v5. Arvidsson, meanwhile, scored 15 goals in 67 games, giving him a higher goals-per-game ratio, though arguably not enough, considering he played nearly 423 minutes next to the NHL’s leading goal scorer, Leon Draisaitl, at 5v5.
That said, Arvidsson has the harder and faster shot between the two, with his fastest shot clocked at 98.96 MPH, whereas Mangiapane’s hardest shot last season was clocked at 89.33 MPH.
Although the Oilers lose shot speed with Arvidsson gone and Mangiapane in, NHL Edge doesn’t specify the type of shot each player took. With the Oilers, Arvidsson was at his best when taking full wind-ups on slap shots. He scored on some of those throughout the season, but at the same time, he was sometimes unable to get those full wind-up clappers off — either because he fell down or took too long winding up.
A review of all 15 of Mangiapane’s goals last season (14 in the regular season and one in the playoffs, which was a game-winning goal) shows he prefers a quick snapshot over a full wind-up slap shot like Arvidsson. He scored four goals off snapshots and two off wristers from distance, including a shorthanded marker.
That said, snapshots don’t quite have the speed of slap shots, but they’re more elusive and accurate. Frankly, that’s the kind of shot I feel the Oilers need more of — especially when playing with Connor McDavid or Draisaitl, who’ll set you up in unexpected spots where you have to be ready to fire quickly, which could bode well for Mangiapane’s preference for a quick snapper.
In addition, the Oilers are getting a more effective shooter in Mangiapane over Arvidsson, as the Toronto native has a career average shooting percentage of 14.4%, compared to the Swede’s 10.9%. It’s also worth noting that Mangiapane underwent shoulder surgery after the 2022-23 season, during which he posted a 9.3% shooting percentage that season. Since then, his shooting percentage has improved from 11.5% to 14.7%, suggesting he’s regaining his form and moving closer to his career average.
Oilers Gain More Versatility with Mangiapane
Penalty Kill
Mangiapane’s penalty kill role was limited last season with Washington, playing just 12:43 minutes, as the Capitals likely already had their core PK group in place in his first season with the team. In contrast, with the Calgary Flames, he was a regular contributor on the PK — ranking sixth among forwards in both 2023-24 (53:28) and 2022-23 (88:30), and fifth in 2021-22 (104:33) and scored four shorthanded goals over those years.
Since Connor Brown, who led the Oilers in penalty killing minutes among forwards last season, has moved on with the New Jersey Devils, there is likely a spot open on the PK. Although Mangiapane didn’t play many shorthanded minutes last season, he has experience and could be an option there for the Oilers next season.
Whereas Arvidsson didn’t play much on the PK, playing just 15:46 minutes last season with the Oilers and played only a combined eight minutes over the previous four seasons. Overall, the Oilers are getting a player in Mangiapane who can fill a role on the PK.
Power Play
Mangiapane played 98:09 on the power play last season with the Capitals and recorded four assists, primarily playing on the second unit. Arvidsson, meanwhile, played 73:25 on the man advantage with Edmonton, contributing one goal and two assists. In terms of goals per 60 minutes, the Capitals generated 6.72 GF/60 with Mangiapane on the ice, while the Oilers produced 4.9 GF/60 with Arvidsson. Moreover, barring any injuries to the top unit, Mangiapane is likely to be placed on the Oilers’ second unit again next season.
Mangiapane Can Play Both Wings for Oilers
Although Arvidsson is a right-handed shot and Mangiapane shoots left, the Swede typically played on the right side. The newly acquired Oiler, however, is known for his ability to play both wings, giving Edmonton added flexibility in their line combinations. Moreover, Mangiapane’s comfort on his off-wing could work very well in the Oilers’ favour — just imagine Draisaitl threading passes to the left side, where Mangiapane can unleash quick one-timers with his accurate snap shot. He’s also shown that he can be dangerous when attacking from the left side, as demonstrated by the goal below.
From a stylistic standpoint, Mangiapane looks like he could complement either McDavid or Draisaitl well, with his knack for keeping plays alive and playing a solid give-and-go game, something Oilers GM Stan Bowman specifically pointed out when discussing what he liked about Mangiapane:
“I think the thing other thing we like about him is just his ability to extend the play, to play sort of like a give and go game. He’s an active player, he’s also a competitive player. He’s not the most fun to play against — certainly played a lot against him when he was in Calgary, and I think you notice his ability to impact the game in a number of ways.”
Another benefit of bringing in Mangiapane over Arvidsson is age and durability. The Oilers were the oldest team in the NHL last season, and Mangiapane is three years younger. He’s also played 320 regular-season games over the past four seasons, compared to Arvidsson’s 228, suggesting the Oilers are getting a player who’s less prone to injury.
Overall, while the Oilers lose some speed and slap shot power with Arvidsson, they gain a more accurate shooter in Mangiapane, who brings more physicality, greater versatility with the ability to play both wings, is younger and less injury-prone, and may be a better stylistic fit to play alongside the dynamic duo — all while saving $400,000 annually.
Additionally, Mangiapane is close friends with Troy Stecher from their time winning gold at the 2021 World Championships, where he was named tournament MVP while playing on a line with Adam Henrique. Given that history, it’s worth seeing if they can rekindle that chemistry. With all the other potential line combos the Oilers could try, along with all the intangibles he brings, Mangiapane looks like a very promising signing for the Oilers.
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