Calgary Flames trade winger Andrew Mangiapane to the Washington Capitals

With all eyes on the 2024 NHL Draft, excitement was building for Calgary Flames fans, but out of nowhere, Craig Conroy has made yet another trade, moving one of his veteran players. This time it was veteran winger Andrew Mangiapane, who comes into the off-season after two down years, officially moving him to the Washington Capitals.

During the 2023-24 season, the expectation was that Mangiapane could only fetch the Flames a third or a fourth round pick, but somehow, the team have now acquired a 2025 second-round pick in the move, with the Capitals taking on all of Mangiapane's $5.8 million for the last year of his contract. On the surface, seeing a former Flames draft pick get moved isn't ideal, but Mangiapane is 28-years old, and reportedly told the team that he would not be re-signing once he hits free agency next summer, so the move makes perfect sense.

Now, the team have yet another draft pick to add to their collection as Craig Conroy builds for the future, and with all of that extra cap space, the team are now able to be more flexible in taking on bad contracts going forward, or potentially adding a free agent that they can use as trade bait down the line. On top of that, it clears out one more spot on the wing, as the Flames were crowded at the position, with Connor Zary, Jakob Pelletier, Matt Coronato, Martin Pospisil and other young wingers now have the chance to stake their claim on the roster going forward.

Ultimately, this was a deal that had to get done, and even though Mangiapane is a staple in the Calgary community and well loved by fans, it needed to happen, and to get a second-round pick in next years draft, that has to be considered a win for Conroy.