The Edmonton Oilers are in the middle of the Olympic break, and while they are in the middle of a roster freeze that prohibits them from making any roster moves, there are still several rumours surrounding them. In this edition of Oilers News & Rumours, we take a look at the status of Andrew Mangiapane, the players playing in the Olympics, and speculation that Paul Coffey will return to the Oilers’ bench.
Andrew Mangiapane Needs to Be Moved, Insider Says
In a recent edition of the 32 Thoughts podcast, Elliotte Friedman stated that the Oilers need to trade forward Andrew Mangiapane.
Related: Analyst Suggests Oilers-Canadiens Swap Involving Patrik Laine & Andrew Mangiapane
Friedman stated, “There’s a lot to discuss in Edmonton, but let’s start with this: the Oilers need to move Andrew Mangiapane. It’s clear he’s not a fit for Kris Knoblauch, and there’s no point in pretending otherwise. Cut the losses and move on.”
Mangiapane, who is 29 years old and signed with the Oilers in the offseason, has scored six goals and added six assists for 12 points through 49 games this season. It seems as though he is going to be traded by the 2026 Trade Deadline; it’s simply a matter of when, not if.
Oilers Have Three Players Headed to Olympics
As the 2026 Winter Olympics get underway and NHL players finally return, the Oilers have three players headed to Italy, representing their home countries. Josh Samanski and Leon Draisaitl will be representing Team Germany, while captain Connor McDavid will represent Team Canada.
Draisaitl was recently named captain of Team Germany, while McDavid was named assistant captain of Team Canada.
Leon Draisaitl has been named captain of the German men’s hockey team at #MilanoCortina2026 🇩🇪 pic.twitter.com/YT8H6lqbtD
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) February 9, 2026
Samanski, who is 23 years old, only played five games with the Oilers before the break, where he had two assists, but has dominated in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Bakersfield Condors, scoring seven goals and adding 21 assists for 28 points through 39 games, and earning some time with the Oilers before he was sent off.
McDavid and Draisaitl have continued to dominate. McDavid has 96 points through 58 games, while Draisaitl has 80 points through 55 games.
The first games of the Olympics get underway on Wednesday (Feb. 11).
Is Paul Coffey Coming Back to Coach?
Reports have been circulating in recent days that the Oilers would consider making alterations to their coaching staff. Some fans wonder if that means they would fire head coach Kris Knoblauch, but that theory was recently shut down by Bob Stauffer, and it doesn’t seem likely that the Oilers would even consider that until the offseason, if they considered it at all.
Elliotte Friedman alluded to these rumours in his recent written 32 Thoughts article, and seemed to leave it open for conversation while discussing Draisaitl’s recent post-game comments, where he called out the entire team, stating, “It’s led to local speculation the team will put Paul Coffey back on the bench. He brings an edge they could use. I asked about this earlier in the season and was told no. Does everyone involved really want that?”
It doesn’t sound like it’s a guarantee that Coffey will be back behind the bench after the Olympic break, but things can change in the blink of an eye, so time will tell if the Oilers decide to make any changes or additions to their staff.
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