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To open what could be a busy run to the NHL trade deadline, the Washington Capitals traded winger Anthony Mantha to the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday night. Washington received two draft picks in return: a second-round choice in 2024 and a fourth-round selection in 2026.

A pending unrestricted free agent, Mantha, 29, is in the final season of a four-year contract that carries an average annual value of $5.7 million. The Capitals retained 50 percent — the maximum allowed — of Mantha’s salary in the transaction.

Mantha, acquired from the Detroit Red Wings <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2021/04/12/capitals-trade-for-anthony-mantha/" target=_blank>at the trade deadline in 2021</a>, had a rocky three years with Washington but was enjoying a renaissance this season. He scored his 20th goal in <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/03/03/kuznetsov-waivers-capitals-coyotes/" target=_blank>Sunday’s loss to the Arizona Coyotes</a>; it was the first time he reached the 20-goal mark since 2018-19 with Detroit. With 34 points in 56 games, he has posted his highest output since 2019-20 (38 points).

Late last season, after several healthy scratches under previous coach Peter Laviolette, Mantha’s confidence reached a low point, and he <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/04/20/anthony-mantha-mental-coach/" target=_blank>turned to a mental coach</a> for help. That work, combined with a focus over the summer on reshaping his body and finding his game, led to by far his most productive season with the Capitals — and made him a commodity at the trade deadline.

Hendrix Lapierre is back with the Capitals and making a statement

“I’ve focused over the summer on being a better player, being more consistent, and I think it is actually paying off right now,” Mantha said last week. “It is, I would say, a lot of work put in and a lot of hours of video and a lot of hours of thinking over my game, and here we are.”

Visibly happier and much more confident this season, Mantha said last week that how he feels now is “night and day” compared with how he felt last year. Still, his time in Washington was underwhelming as a whole. The 2013 first-round pick finished with 44 goals and 48 assists in 174 regular season games with the Capitals and went without a goal in 11 playoff matchups.

As his name began to appear in trade chatter, Mantha exemplified <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/03/02/capitals-trade-deadline-brian-maclellan/" target=_blank>Washington’s deadline dilemma</a>. A playoff-bound Capitals team would need and want Mantha, its second-leading goal scorer, but he also was high on the list of teams interested in acquiring scoring pop — as evidenced by him being involved in the first major move of the week.

“You just never know, but I try to go day by day and do my best,” Mantha said. “Play for this team — that’s who I’m playing for right now — and I’m focused on winning games here, being a good teammate. That’s all I can do.”

With Mantha heading to Vegas, Washington could make additional moves before Friday’s 3 p.m. deadline. Pending unrestricted free agents Max Pacioretty, Joel Edmundson and Nicolas Aube-Kubel could be on the move, as could players with term remaining such as center Nic Dowd and goaltender Charlie Lindgren.

When General Manager Brian MacLellan <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/03/02/capitals-trade-deadline-brian-maclellan/" target=_blank>met with reporters Saturday</a>, he indicated his preference would be to execute what the Capitals did at last year’s deadline — trade older players for draft picks and then flip those picks for younger roster pieces, as he did in the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/02/28/capitals-trade-rasmus-sandin-erik-gustafsson-marcus-johansson/" target=_blank>deal to land defenseman Rasmus Sandin</a>.

In other words, the draft picks Washington acquired for Mantha could change hands again before Friday’s deadline.

Chris O'Meara

University of Michigan, BA in communications

Bailey Johnson joined The Washington Post in 2023 as the Washington Capitals beat writer. She previously covered the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Columbus Crew for the Columbus Dispatch. 

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