Is this the end for Edmonton Oilers forwards Mangiapane and Frederic?

You think the average Edmonton Oilers ticket is expensive?

The team will have nearly $7.5 million sitting in two press box seats against the Nashville Predators on Tuesday, as embattled forwards Andrew Mangiapane and Trent Frederic have both listed as healthy scratches.

The pair has combined for one goal and three assists in their previous 18 games, going back to Nov. 22, with Frederic contributing a lone assist.

“Things haven’t worked out. Not that it’s over,” said Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch. “We felt that they haven’t played as we’ve expected, and I think that there’s more for them to give us.

“But also we’ve got some young guys that have deserved to get some opportunities to play.”

The Oilers surged through December with an 8-2-1 stretch, but have lost three of their past four coming out of the Christmas break, prompting a shakeup down the lineup and a gut-check in the mirror.

Among the youngsters mentioned, Isaac Howard was brought up from the farm in Bakersfield, Calif., where he was the American Hockey League’s player of the month for December with 16 points (eight goals, eight assists) in 11 games.

With him came Quinn Hutson, who has since been sent back down to the Condors, where he leads all AHL rookies with 32 points (19 goals, 13 assists) in 26 games.

During their one game together, they formed a kid line along with NHL rookie Matthew Savoie at centre, and although their inexperience shone through in a 5-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, getting scored on while failing to register even a shot, it was the one time all year any line in the Oilers bottom six formed any sort of identity.

The same can’t be said for the efforts of Mangiapane and Frederic’s body of work over the entire first half of the season. Frederic, fresh off signing an eight-year extension worth $3.85 million annually, is sitting on two goals and an assist in 41 games.

“We’ve got a lot of guys who can play in the bottom six, and right now we’re just wanting more from those guys,” said Knoblauch. “And a little bit of a reset for those two.”

With a team-low 0.07 points per game among forwards, it’s no wonder fans have given up on him long ago, and with his second scratch in seven games, it appears the team is following suit.

And Mangiapane isn’t doing much better since coming in as the Oilers’ biggest free-agent signing of the off-season, with just 0.28 points per game to show for his five goals and six assists over 40 games.

“Coming to a new team is hard at times,” said Leon Draisaitl, who was originally fitted to have Mangiapane as a wingman on the second line. “You’ve got to find your role. You’ve got to establish a role for yourself.

“I’m sure he wants more, he likes more and I’m sure he’s the first guy to tell you that. But that’s between him and the coach, that’s not really up to us players. His attitude has been nothing but amazing, truly. He brings a lot of energy to the group. Yeah, we’ll see.”

G-MAN’S TAKE: A little bit of a reset? Someone please get Stan Bowman the number for Marty McFly. There doesn’t appear to be any future here for Mangiapane, whose new year has been steeped in trade rumours. And what are the chances Frederic’s story in Edmonton ends in anything other than a buyout?

TAKE 2: It’s not just the bottom six that’s been a blender of musical chairs as Knoblauch throws spaghetti at the wall in hopes of having some noodles stick sooner or later.

While the top two wingers on the team helped Connor McDavid enjoy the most productive month of any NHLer in 30 years since Mario Lemieux, Draisaitl has gotten the leftovers.

That typically means Vasily Podkolzin on his left wing, and Jack Roslovic (when he’s healthy) or Savoie on his right. Roslovic has been the only one who’s shown the ability to step up, so far.

On Tuesday, it was Kasperi Kapanen on Draisaitl’s flank, who is playing his first game since Oct. 19 due to a knee injury. He was put on Leon Draisaitl’s right wing on the second line, pushing Roslovic down to the third line.

It’s no wonder Draisaitl’s production has fallen off, with just one even-strength goal to show since flipping the calendar to December.

TAKE 3: If nothing else, they way the Oilers are going right now we’re at least going to find out if one guy actually can do it all on his own.

E-mail: gmoddejonge@postmedia.com

On X: @StarkRavinMod

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