As we enter the “desert” of the NHL offseason, a bit of news surfaced involving the Winnipeg Jets and free agent forward Andrew Mangiapane. Before ultimately signing with the Edmonton Oilers, it turns out the Jets had some interest in bringing the 29-year-old to Winnipeg.

Honestly, this shouldn’t come as a surprise — several teams had Mangiapane on their radar after a good campaign with the Washington Capitals. In 81 games last season, he tallied 14 goals and 14 assists for 28 points, plus two points in 10 playoff games.

Those numbers won’t jump off the page, but he played a key depth role on a very strong Capitals team that finished second in the league with 111 points — only five behind our very own Jets, who led the NHL with 116. Mangiapane was physical, brought energy, and even saw some time in the top six.

His best offensive season came back in 2021-22 with the Calgary Flames, when he racked up 35 goals and 55 points. Since then, his scoring has dipped, but the ability to hit 30 goals again is still there — it just depends who he’s playing with. In Edmonton, if he gets consistent time with Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl, expect his numbers to spike. But based on recent seasons, he’s likely settling into more of a dependable middle-six role — and that’s perfectly fine. Nobody’s expecting him to be a superstar.

From the Jets’ perspective, even after the addition of Gustav Nyquist, there’s still a hole to fill with Nikolaj Ehlers now in Carolina. Had Mangiapane signed with Winnipeg, he could’ve slotted into a second-line role alongside Cole Perfetti and Vladislav Namestnikov — if that’s the direction the Jets wanted to go.

That said, it does raise the question of where exactly he would fit. If Winnipeg wants to give Brad Lambert and Nikita Chibrikov more NHL reps this season, adding a veteran like Mangiapane could’ve complicated things. Maybe he ends up on the third line, bumping someone like Nino Niederreiter around the lineup.

All in all, it wouldn’t have been a bad signing by any means. Mangiapane would’ve brought depth, experience, and some offensive upside. But given where the Jets are headed — and their apparent commitment to giving young talent a shot — it’s understandable why things didn’t move forward.