The Edmonton Oilers have acquired forwards Jason Dickinson and Colton Dach from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Andrew Mangiapane and a conditional 2027 1st round pick.
The deal marks the second deal in less than a week between the two clubs, after Edmonton acquired blue liner Connor Murphy on Monday for a 2nd round pick in 2028. As part of the deal, Chicago will retain 50% of Dickinson’s salary.
Originally drafted 29th overall by the Dallas Stars back in 2013, Dickinson has appeared in 549 NHL games, split between the Stars, Canucks and Blackhawks since making his debut during the 2015-16 season. Across 47 games this year, the 30 year old has accumulated 6G, 7A to go along with a -7 rating for a Hawks side that is once again at the bottom of the standings.
Dickinson has earned a reputation as hard working, two way centre that can be deployed in a variety of situations. Nevertheless, the move has been poorly received by many in the Oilers fanbase who appear to be growing increasingly frustrated by their GM.
The Blackhawks will be happy to add additional draft capital to their warchest as they continue to try to find the right combination of players to surround Connor Bedard with. Mangiapane is a veteran winger who has shown the ability to produce in the past.
During the 2021-22 NHL campaign, he set career highs with 35 goals and 20 assists. Unfortunately, he’s struggled to regain that form, resulting in a disastrous stint with the Oilers where he’s managed just 7G and 7A across 52 contests.
Currently in the first year of a 2 year, $3.6M contract, the 29 year old could serve as a depth piece for Chicago, where the pressure to produce won’t be as high.
Edmonton currently sits 3rd in the Pacific division with a 30-24-8 record, but have seen peaks and valleys in their on ice play recently. The club is 5-5 in their last 10 games, but have blown a few late leads, and are averaging 4.4 goals against during that stretch.
With the NHL’s March 6th trade deadline quickly approaching, it will be interesting to see whether the team has finished their tinkering early, or if Bowman & Co. have a few more deals still to make.
Photo: Jenn G. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.