"Felt they would steer clear of me" - Andrew Mangiapane claims he never expected Oilers to reach out given his 'history with Calgary' 

Andrew Mangiapane never expected the Edmonton Oilers to reach out to him in free agency, given his long history with their bitter rival, the Calgary Flames. But that's exactly what happened, as the Oilers signed Mangiapane to a two-year, $7.2 million contract last week. The deal carries an AAV of $3.6 million.

Mangiapane, a sixth-round pick (No. 166) by the Flames in the 2015 NHL draft, played seven seasons in Calgary before being traded to the Capitals last year. He then became a free agent this summer.

Speaking on Thursday's TSN1050's First Up podcast, he admitted he was shocked when the Oilers showed interest.

"I don't think they were really high on my list," Mangiapane said. "I didn't think that they would ever kind of reach out to me because of my history with Calgary. I felt like they would steer clear of me for sure, but when they reached out, I couldn't pass that opportunity, right?

"Connor (McDavid) reached out, Leon (Draisaitl) reached out, and coach ... I thought they were going to steer clear of me for sure.”

Mangiapane felt great to have the Oilers reach out and show real interest in him. He admitted the whole situation feels a bit surreal.

"If you told me even two years ago that I'd be playing for the Edmonton Oilers,I'd be laughing at you," Mangiapane added.

But now that it's real, he's genuinely excited to be heading back to Alberta. Last season with the Washington Capitals, he scored 28 points in 81 games. He scored two more points in 10 playoff games.

Andrew Mangiapane on playing in same line with Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl

Andrew Mangiapane believes that he'll get a chance at cracking the top six and potentially lining up alongside Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl. However, he understands those decisions ultimately rest with coach Kris Knoblauch.

"They roughly indicated that I'll start with McDavid or Draisaitl, but that's on me to be able to perform like I know I can," Mangiapane said. "Obviously, I want to play with [them]. Those are two of the top two players in the world so it would be fun and excited to play with those guys."

While Mangiapane is eager to play with McDavid or Draisaitl, he also emphasized that he is willing to play wherever the coaching staff needs him.