Pierre LeBrun names Nicolas Roy Oilers fit, $3.6M Andrew Mangiapane cap hit blocks move
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Daniel Lucente
Mar 3, 2026 (5:29 PM)
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Photo credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
Pierre LeBrun says Nic Roy is on the Edmonton Oilers' radar, but Andrew Mangiapane's $3.6M cap hit has to go first, and the clock is loud.
LeBrun laid it out on TSN's Early Trading, and it was pure cap math, not vibes.
Nicolas Roy is 29, drafted in 2015, Round 4, by the Carolina Hurricanes, and he's exactly the kind of heavy third-line center teams chase in March.
Roy is signed through 2026-27 at a $3.0M cap hit, and he's a UFA in 2027.
Mangiapane is also signed through 2026-27 at $3.6M, and Edmonton is already squeezed right up against the ceiling.
That's why LeBrun framed Mangiapane as the first domino, not the second.
Roy's 2025-26 line with Toronto tells you what he is, 5-15-20 in 58 games, plus real minutes on the penalty kill.
He wins pucks, gets to the hard areas, and lets stars breathe by keeping shifts clean and short.
Mangiapane's 7-7-14 in 52 games makes the problem obvious, the money is playing like a passenger.
Nicolas Roy fits the Edmonton Oilers deadline problem
Oilers fans are tired of the same movie, great top-end, and then panic shopping because the bottom-six can't hold the line.
Roy helps because he can take tough draws, protect a lead, and still chip in off the cycle.
He also gives the Oilers a center who can survive matchup hockey when the whistles disappear.
But none of it matters unless Edmonton finds a taker for Mangiapane, even if it costs a sweetener.
The Oilers are 29-24-8, and every point matters when you're living in wild-card traffic.
They play Ottawa tonight, then Friday against Carolina, and Friday is also the trade deadline.
If Roy is the target, the real story is whether Edmonton can finally clear money without bleeding future picks.
Also read on HockeyLatest :
New York Islanders, Vancouver Canucks discuss Conor Garland trade, $4.95M cap hit in focus
New York Islanders, Vancouver Canucks discuss Conor Garland trade, $4.95M cap hit in focus
| POLL | ||
MARS 3|160 ANSWERS Pierre LeBrun names Nicolas Roy Oilers fit, $3.6M Andrew Mangiapane cap hit blocks move Should the Edmonton Oilers move Andrew Mangiapane to make room for Nicolas Roy? | ||
| Yes | 134 | 83.8 % |
| No | 26 | 16.3 % |
| List of polls | ||