The Edmonton Oilers have struck another deal ahead of the NHL’s trade deadline with the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Oilers have acquired Jason Dickinson and Colton Dach for Andrew Mangiapane and a conditional first-round pick in 2027 that is top-12 protected, according to insider Frank Seravalli. The Blackhawks have retained 50 per cent of Dickinson’s contract, which would make his cap hit $2.125 million on the Oilers’ books.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on Wednesday evening that the two teams were discussing the move, just two days after the Oilers plucked defenceman Connor Murphy from the Hawks.
The Oilers are making the move to fill a perceived hole at third-line centre, as Dickinson is renowned for his ability to play a key shutdown role, as evident by his ability to drive play defensively at a 20 per cent rate above league average, according to Hockey Viz. His overall contributions, meanwhile, equate to those of a high-end first-line centre,
It would also provide depth to the centre position with Curtis Lazar out for a month due to an undisclosed injury.
Colton Dach has three goals and nine points this season in 53 games, his first full-year in the NHL. He split time between the Blackhawks and the Rockford Ice Dogs of the AHL in 2024-25. The Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta product was a second-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft.
Andrew Mangiapane has been rumoured to be on the trade block for multiple months, as general manager Stan Bowman’s free-agent signing hasn’t performed as hoped. He carried a $3.6 million cap hit.
Just like his former and now-again teammate Connor Murphy, Dickinson had a regular penalty-killing role with Chicago, the league’s best PK at 85.9 per cent. He was fourth in team ice-time amongst forwards on the PK, playing over 100 minutes shorthanded for the Blackhawks, according to Natural Stat Trick.
Dickinson believed he would be traded, as he was quoted in the Chicago Sun-Times saying his game is “well-built for playoffs.”
This season, he’s scored six goals and 13 points in 47 games. He’s currently in the final year of his two-year contract, with a cap hit of $4.25 million.
The contract came after Dickinson produced a career high offensively in 2023-24, scoring 22 goals and 35 points. That’s the only NHL season he’s scored double-digit goals.
“[Dickinson is] a great human, really even-keeled, got a great head on his shoulders, very self-accountable, looks in the mirror every day and wants to better himself,” coach Jeff Blashill said this week. “He’s been a really good piece for us.”
Originally drafted by the Dallas Stars in the first round in 2013, he spent six seasons there before joining Vancouver in 2021-22. After one season in VAN, he was traded to Chicago in October 2022.
Michael Menzies is an Oilersnation columnist and has been the play-by-play voice of the Bonnyville Pontiacs in the AJHL since 2019. With seven years news experience as the Editor-at-Large of Lakeland Connect in Bonnyville, he also collects vinyl, books, and stomach issues.