Matheson: Questions answered around Mangiapane, Roslovic, Howard and Ingram

Questions, questions? We’ve got a few as we hit the New Year.

1. Can we close the book on Oiler Andrew Mangiapane being a top 6 player?

Yes, we can, chapter and verse.

2. Is Jack Roslovic a better Edmonton winger than a centre?

Yes, and the only guy who counts, coach Kris Knoblauch, says so.

3. Is Ike Howard ready for a recall after a red-hot six weeks on the farm?

Probably, but we may need a resolution on the Mangiapane trade front first.

4. Is goalie Connor Ingram fallible?

He sure is, after his first shaky game in net, in his fourth start.

Mangiapane started on right-wing with Leon Draisaitl in the New Year’s eve blowout by the Boston Bruins, after being scratched in Winnipeg Dec. 29. But by the third period, Roslovic, who has 12 goals and 20 points in 28 games, was fully riding with No. 29. Mangiapane played only 7:31, the second fewest minutes of any Oilers forward after Max Jones’s 7:21. He got only 11 ES shifts.

Knoblauch, the report card grader, just likes Roslovic more on the second line.

“He’s a better player than Andrew,” said Knoblauch.

You don’t usually hear a coach being so clear-cut publicly, but Knoblauch was.

Mangiapane did show some of his old rat type tendencies from his Calgary days, sticking his nose into some Bruins’ scrums, managing a nefarious trip of Boston defenceman Charlie McAvoy at the blueline that looked to be conduct unbecoming but went unpenalized by the zebras and in the last four minutes he also got a misconduct along with Mark Kastelic who outweighs Mangiapane by 50 pounds.

“When Andrew got into it, he was a little feisty and made some plays,” said Knoblauch, liking that part of things, but the 7:31 ice-time was the lowest of any of his 39 games this season.

“There were a lot of penalties, and he’s not on special teams, and he missed a chunk of time in the third period with a skate issue,” said Knoblauch.

Knoblauch didn’t put Mangiapane on the second power play unit, instead going with Adam Henrique, who continues to be a dependable face-off and penalty-killer and a smart defensive guy, but hasn’t scored on his last 50 shots over 33 games. When Kasperi Kapanen returns from his knee issue, if not Saturday when the Philadelphia Flyers are here, but maybe Jan. 6 against the Nashville Predators, that will complicate things even more for Mangiapane.

As will the spectre of young Howard lighting it up in Bakersfield. Howard has played 16 AHL games and has 10 goals and 23 points and is plus-13. How much longer can they keep him down on the farm? They sent Jones back on Thursday, which means they have only 12 healthy forwards. Maybe Kapanen comes off LTIR now and onto the roster. Or maybe they swap out Jones and are bringing back Howard. He deserves another look, more than scraps on a fourth line like his early time here.

But back to Roslovic, who ripped home a PP shot against Connor Hellebuyck in Winnipeg and beat Jeremy Swayman in the Boston loss.

Roslovic is definitely more of a threat on the wing than as 3C, with the Oilers still searching for a game-in, game-out third-line centre, if they want to keep Ryan Nugent-Hopkins where he is most comfortable on LW with Connor McDavid.

“It looks like we need him (Roslovic) in the top six,” said Knoblauch, cutting to the chase. “Having him up there, being a bit more dangerous, and he gives Leon a little more support. That’s important, as much as we want to get a third line going. I think having your best players supported with good players is something we have to look at.”

That sounds ominous for Mangiapane.

“Leon and Rosie can both pass, but they can really shoot, all around players. Looking at the third period when they were together, Roslovic made a nice play on the wall, getting it cross-ice to Leon for a one-timer. Leon can do that the other way, too. And (Vasily) Podkolzin on that line, too, is around the net, doing the dirty work,” said Knoblauch.

Roslovic, who had 16 minutes against the Bruins, will play where he’s told.

“Whatever I need to do to help the team, kind of being deployed, wherever. I’m happy wherever I can be as long as I’m making a play,” said Roslovic, UFA for now, with maybe the Oilers wanting a longer look (playoff performance) before they decide whether to try and sign him for a heckuva lot more than $1.5 million AAV.

Henrique, while one of the smartest on-ice players on the team, seems better served now as a 4C, situational player, which means the Oilers are looking for another two-way 3C, in a trade. It should be a lot easier getting that warm body than going all-in for a first-line winger like Alex Tuch, if Buffalo doesn’t re-sign the UFA forward at the March 6 deadline. It’s not Knoblauch’s fault that he can’t find a consistent third line, but it’s his problem.

He had Henrique, Connor Brown and Mattias Janmark together as an effective playoff line last year, but Brown signed in New Jersey. His third line has been in constant flux since this season started.

“Obviously, Matt Savoie continues to get better (RW). Kapanen will be coming back. He’s played in that situation before (on the wing). We’ll have to figure something out,” said Knoblauch, who still needs a centre.

They have to figure out their goaltending, as well.

While Calvin Pickard was fantastic in Winnipeg, stoning the Jets with 40 saves in a 3-1 win, they went back to Ingram for the Bruins game rather than stick with the hot hand, making it four starts in the five games since Tristan Jarry either hurt his knee or his groin sliding across the crease in a harmless play in Boston Dec. 16.

A clear sign they know what they have in their long-time back-up Pickard, but want to see more of Ingram before making a firm decision on a No. 2 when Jarry returns, maybe in two more weeks. Ingram had only given up seven goals in his first three starts after his recall from Bakersfield (two wins, one loss), but he gave up six on 29 shots on Wednesday.

His adventure started when he got caught playing the puck outside the trapezoid for a penalty to put the Bruins on an early 5-on-3. The Oilers killed off the first one, but David Pastrnak banked one in on Ingram for the game’s first goal. Then the Casey Mittelstadt 2-0 shortside shot and Hampus Lindholm’s sifter from distance to make it 3-1 Boston, weren’t great ones.

“We definitely want to see how Ingram’s going to play, but we feel we have two quality guys for a backup. Picks will most likely play next game (Flyers). We’ll see how Picks does and go from there,” said Knoblauch, who isn’t counting on Jarry returning anytime soon. “Nothing immediate. I’d broadly say mid-January.”

So maybe another seven games before they have to make a backup decision.

Here are the basics on the Ingram summons from Bakersfield:

Because it was an emergency recall with Jarry hurt on the road trip two weeks ago, Ingram can dress for nine NHL games (backing up for a whole game doesn’t count) and be returned to the AHL without having to go on waivers to send him down when Jarry comes back. If Ingram plays a 10th game, he triggers those waivers.

Days in the NHL don’t matter. So far, he’s played four games, as we said.

This ‘n that: Defenceman Jake Walman missed his 18th straight game Wednesday with a broken bone in his foot after being hit with an Emil Lilleberg shot in Tampa Nov. 20. He’s out at least another week, maybe two. Kapanen, out since Oct. 19, is close, but Knoblauch may not get him back for the Flyers. “We might only have one practice (Friday), and then to put him in might be a tall order. Sometime the following week,” said Knoblauch… After Connor McDavid wheeled around a Bruins defender and then sent his eighth shot of the night on Jeremy Swayman that the Boston goalie swatted away, Swayman came out of his net to tap McDavid on his pants, a clear sign of respect for 97’s wondrous play. McDavid and Colorado’s Nate MacKinnon are now tied for the scoring race at 70 points — the first two players to get to 70 points by New Year’s Eve in exactly 30 years. Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr did it with the Penguins in 1995… Knoblauch took Curtis Lazar out against the Bruins to get Mangiapane back in, certainly not because of poor play. “Curtis is a good utility player. As a coach, you want him on the ice either for a defensive face-off or key times, maybe on shutdown line. He’s a fourth-line player on our team, not necessarily playing every night, but he can definitely help us,” he said… The setback to the Bruins on New Year’s Eve continued a losing pattern for the Oilers. They have won only five of 26 games in their history on Dec. 31… Ex-Oiler David Tomasek has played his first game for his old Swedish team Farjestads. “Nice to see some familiar faces,” he told the team website.