Jessica Belmosto

Photo credit: Credit: Derek Cain/Getty Images

Editors Note: Hi! Long time no see, huh? I started this series back in 2020 and have decided Andrew Mangiapane was the perfect candidate to revive it. I hope you enjoy and do as the man says, eat bread.

The 2022-23 Calgary Flames season was far from perfect. They lost two elite players in Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk and it was going to be a challenge to make up for their offense. It was time for players to step up and Andrew Mangiapane was projected to be one of them.

Andrew Mangiapane was coming off a career high 35 goal ( 55 points ) campaign. There was every reason to believe the 27 year old would be able to replicate it to some extent. 

Unfortunately, the Flames hit every imaginable bump in the road. Between adjusting to the roster turnover and dysfunction in the locker room, Mangiapane never found his footing. 

Just like everyone else in the room,Mangiapane saw a significant decline in his production. He scored 17 goals (43 points ) through 82 games. Prior to his 35 goal campaigns, he’d scored 17 and 18 goals. 

35 goals is an outlier. 

The 2021-22 season seemed like an outlier for a majority of the Flames roster. 

A player’s performance is not cut and dry. Nothing in life is simply black or white. Gray areas exist and you have to take them into consideration. 

Right now, it looks like the Flames are trying to trend in the right direction. They traded Tyler Toffoli to New Jersey for Yegor Sharangovich and a 2023 third round draft pick. They’re adding another player with shooting ability and potential to be a 20 goal scorer.

With the roster expected to get younger, Mangiapane could see himself in a more predominate role. The Flames have yet to trade Noah Hanifin or Elias Lindholm so it is challenging to project the lineup. Ultimately, it comes down to the pieces moved or brought in before we get a clearer picture

The Flames offense saw a decrease in shooting percentage.  They were shooting 8.8% ( League average 10.1%) compared to 10% the season prior. You need to shoot to score and you need to score to win. Increasing quality chances with a player like Sharangovich may be quite the benefit they’re looking for. 

When talking about Mangiapane’s game you’d be remissed to not mention his 200-foot game. There His linemates Mikael Backlund and Black Coleman were one of the most dominant lines through the 2021-22 season. 

Though the organization struggled this past season, the line remained one of the strongest complete 200-foot lines in the league. The forecheck is one of the few things that kept the Flames above water a majority of the season

Mangiapane had successful shoulder surgery in April. It goes without saying that recovery is different for everyone. Thanks to the Flames early start to the summer, Mangiapane has a little extra time on his side and will be ready for training camp. There were no additional details about when the injury occured. Depending on the timetable, his shot could have obviously been affected. I meant it when I said the Flames met every obstacle this season.

While we are all rooting for a bounce back year it may not happen right away. Cleared to play does not mean “fully healed.” It is a matter of what Mangiapane makes of his offseason and rehabilitation. I wouldn’t be surprised if he returned to camp with a little extra muscle on him.

The Calgary Flames season opens October 11 at home against the Winnipeg Jets.