After some speculation, the Chicago Blackhawks have traded Jason Dickinson to the Edmonton Oilers.
The Chicago Blackhawks are an active seller ahead of the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline. It started on Monday, when they sent defenseman Connor Murphy to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for a second-round pick.
Kyle Davidson made a deal with his old boss, Stan Bowman, to get an asset for Murphy, who is currently operating on an expiring contract.
On Wednesday, the two sides came together for another trade. The Blackhawks traded Jason Dickinson and Colton Dach to the Oilers in exchange for Andrew Mangiapane and a protected 2027 first-round pick.
The Blackhawks are, like they did with Murphy, going to retain 50 percent of Dickinson's cap hit. That is their third and final retention spot allowed.
In Dickinson, the Oilers are getting a third-line center whom they can trust in all three zones. With Ryan Nugent-Hopkins likely playing wing full-time, having Dickinson behind Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl down the middle makes them one of the deepest teams at center in the NHL.
Andrew Mangiapane is a cap dump for the Oilers. Getting him off their books is the main purpose of his inclusion in the trade.
Mangiapane, who turns 30 in late April, has the rest of this season with a cap hit of $2.45 million and next year at $2.375 million. In 52 games played this season, he has seven goals and seven assists for 14 points.
If he plays games with the Blackhawks, he is hoping to revive his career in the way that a couple of other depth forwards have in recent years. Mangiapane may never be the 35-goal scorer that he was in 2021-22, but there is room for him to get back to being a 15-20 goal man.
There is also a chance that the Blackhawks buy him out at some point, which is easier for them to do as they finish their rebuild than it is for the Oilers, who are right in the middle of their contention window.
Colton Dach moving in this deal was unexpected, but it's a sweetener along with Dickinson to get a first-round pick out of the Oilers, along with taking Mangiapane on.
Dach, an Edmonton native, has been in and out of Chicago's lineup, but he may be a great depth option for the Oilers going forward. With all of the young prospects coming up for Chicago, this is an opportunity for him to go to his hometown instead of dealing with a crowded forward group in Chicago.
The first round pick in this deal is top-12 protected. Although the 2025-26 Florida Panthers have taught the hockey world never to assume things, it is unlikely that the Oilers will be a bottom-12 team in 2026-27.
If the Panthers do finish in the bottom 10 and push their first-round pick going to Chicago by a year, the Hawks will have three first-round picks to work with in 2027.
That is another leader and defensive-minded player subtracted from the Blackhawks' starting lineup, but another elite-level draft pick is banked for a pending unrestricted free agent.
Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
Category: General Sports
