Anthony Mantha Told by Vegas Golden Knights He Won’t Be Re-signed Ahead of Free Agency
Anthony Mantha is poised to join a new team after the Vegas Golden Knights decided not to re-sign him following a brief stint. Traded from the Washington Capitals to the Golden Knights at the trade deadline, Mantha will become 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, as translated via Google Translate. “I’m excited, but at the same time, I’m stressed as everything comes into play. We’ll see, whether it’s July 1st or a little later. Hoping we will have good news.”
Mantha had a challenging 2022-23 season with the Capitals under head coach Peter Laviolette. However, he rebounded by scoring 20 goals, a milestone he hadn’t reached since the 2018-19 season with the Detroit Red Wings. This resurgence allowed Washington to trade him to the Golden Knights for two draft picks in early March.
In his time with Vegas, Mantha contributed 10 points (3 goals, 7 assists) in 18 regular-season games but went scoreless in three postseason appearances. He was a healthy scratch for the last four games of their first-round series against the Dallas Stars under head coach Bruce Cassidy.
Mantha’s lack of playoff production and the Golden Knights’ salary cap constraints likely influenced their decision not to retain him. With 20 players already under contract for next year and only $6.1 million in cap space, largely dependent on goaltender Robin Lehner’s eventual LTIR status, Vegas deemed Mantha non-essential.
Mantha is returning to the DC area this weekend after spending some time in his home province of Quebec. He plans to conduct his offseason training in Washington, where he has spent the last four seasons.
Additionally, Mantha’s wife, Caitlyn, is expecting their second child in August, adding a personal dimension to his off-season plans.
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