Anthony Mantha is ready to join a new team just a few months after the Washington Capitals traded him to the Vegas Golden Knights at the trade deadline.
According to Mantha, the Golden Knights informed him that they will not retain his services after a 21-game tenure with the team. The 29-year-old winger will be an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career this summer.
“Vegas made it clear that they were not going to put me back under contract,” Mantha told RDS’ Catherine Savoie via Google Translate. “I’m excited, but also stressed, as everything comes into play. We will see if it is July 1st or a bit later. I hope we get positive news.”
Following a difficult 2022-23 season with the Capitals under head coach Peter Laviolette, Mantha rebounded to score 20 goals for the first time since the 2018-19 season with the Detroit Red Wings. Washington leveraged its increased scoring confidence to acquire two draft picks from the Golden Knights in early March.
Mantha had 10 points (3 goals, 7 assists) in 18 regular-season games for Vegas, but went scoreless in three postseason games. Bruce Cassidy, the Golden Knights’ bench boss, healthy scratched him for the final four games of their first-round series against the Dallas Stars.
Mantha’s lack of postseason production, along with Vegas’ major salary constraint difficulties, certainly rendered him extraneous to their roster demands. The Golden Knights already have 20 players under contract for next season and only $6.1 million in cap space, with the majority of that coming from goaltender Robin Lehner’s eventual LTIR status.
According to RDS, Mantha will return to the DC region this weekend. After a few weeks in his native province of Quebec, the former Capitals winger intends to resume his offseason training in his previous home of four seasons.
Mantha’s wife, Caitlyn, is also expecting their second child. The couple revealed an August due date in late January.
