Anthony Mantha

The Washington Capitals might not want to do it, but after the subpar season they just pulled off, failing to reach the postseason, they might not have another choice.

The disappointing results in 2022-23 have brought on rumours that three key players from the Capitals’ roster could be on the move this summer. Dan Rosen of NHL.com believes that forwards Tom Wilson, Evgeny Kuznetsov and Anthony Mantha could be traded during the offseason.

Rosen recently answered questions on the Capitals’ future and the reporter hinted at some “surgery” coming to Washington, despite management promising captain Alex Ovechkin that a full rebuild won’t take place until after he breaks Wayne Gretzky’s record for most goals in NHL history. However, the Capitals might have to start somewhere, and it could be this summer.

“Maybe Mantha gets traded. Maybe Wilson does. I don’t think you can rule it out because his contract expires after next season,” wrote Rosen.

As for Kuznetsov, there were ongoing chatter throughout the campaign that he was seeking a trade out of Washington. Though the Russian forward denied the rumours, there is rarely smoke without fire. However, Rosen fears that Kuznetsov might not bring back enough to the Capitals in a transaction this summer.

“I think the Capitals would trade Kuznetsov if they can get good value in return for the 30-year-old forward, but he’s having a disappointing season by his standards with 54 points (12 goals, 42 assists) in 76 games. He could have the fewest points in a season he played at least 70 games since he had 37 in 80 games as a rookie in 2014-15, so it might not be the best time to try to trade him.”

I’m not sure if these trade rumours will materialized in the summer, but if I were GM Brian MacLellan, I’d probably check in with Ovi first, especially if I promised him no significant changes before he makes NHL history…

To say that Anthony Mantha’s time as a member of the Washington Capitals has been disappointing would be quite the understatement. Since being trade by the Detroit Red Wings back in April of 2021 Mantha has appeared in just 117 games for the Capitals over the course of 3 seasons.

Part of that has been due to the injuries that Mantha has suffered since joining the Capitals, but the veteran National Hockey League forward was also made a healthy scratch at times this season by head coach Peter Laviolette and he has never come close to the level of production he saw as a Red Wing.

This season has been Mantha’s most productive with the Capitals so far with him producing 11 goals and 16 assists for a total of 27 points over 66 games played. That however is a far cry from his most productive season in the NHL, one that saw Mantha produce 25 goals and 23 assists for a total of 48 points in just 67 games back during the 2018-19 season.

All this has led to speculation that a change of scenery could be in store for Mantha if the Capitals fail to make the playoffs this season, something that is looking more and more likely each day. In a recent article for The Hockey News, Sammi Silber questioned Mantha’s future on the team.

From Silber:

Regarding Mantha: things haven’t worked out, and he hasn’t capitalized on a fully-healthy season. He has been a healthy scratch on numerous occasions and has been inconsistent and snakebitten, unable to finish on his chances and struggling offensively and defensively. However, it’s unclear whether or not he’s still in the mix going forward, let alone what his trade value would be.

Although the Capitals may prefer to be done with Mantha, moving him won’t be so easy. His decline in production combined with his cap hit of $5.7 million for next season will make him a difficult piece to move, especially considering he is owed $6.5 million in actual cash in the final year of his deal.

Mantha, who was selected in the first round (20th overall) of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft by the Detroit Red Wings has not looked like the dominant physical player many expected him to develop into since his time in Washington, and perhaps a change of scenery would be best for everyone involved come next season.