Confirmed Trade: [VGK/WSH] Anthony Mantha (50% retained) for 2024 2nd round pick and 2026 4th round pick

[abo9]

Mantha is undervalued at this point. Can’t shed the “lazy work ethic” label over the years. Results speak for themselves though, he’s scoring at a good clip almost entirely at even strength too, and he doesn’t really get hemmed in his own zone.

There’s just something about watching him or his skating style that makes people thinks he’s bad or lazy or something. I can’t quite figure it out. He’s a good player. Vegas should be happy.

I think he’s a smarter acquisition at a 2nd/4th instead of forking over a 1st and a top prospect for Guentzel

Why? Guentzel is a much better player. Not even in the same stratosphere.

Especially if you can resign Guentzel. Obviously, you can make the argument that you dont like any rental for a 1st and top prospect

 

[bleuetbio]

Nobody want to touch him with a 10 ft pole and now worth that much! Ok Vegas!

... but I like it! Mantha can rebound

 

[Hockey4Lyfe]

Most Capitals fans hate it so I love it.

 

[LeonDraisaitl]

I like it a lot more with retention. Gives Vegas more money to dick around with

 

[pman25]

Why? Guentzel is a much better player. Not even in the same stratosphere.

Especially if you can resign Guentzel. Obviously, you can make the argument that you dont like any rental for a 1st and top prospect

Sure i think Guentzel is worth that but find Mantha to be the better value. theoretically Vegas could now use their 1st+ to go for Hanifin if they wanted for instance.

A lot of these top teams need more of a depth/secondary even strength scorer and Mantha fits the description nicely at a fair price

 

[Big Daddy Cane]

This is a fairly typical trade. The bar for wingers to return premium value is high. Zuccarello was scoring at a ~66 point pace in 2019; his return ended up a 2nd+3rd. Nyquist (~65) brought back the same that deadline. Dzingel (~63) returned 2 2nds. Domi (~67) brought back a 2nd last deadline.

In the years between, players that weren’t producing at that level, but had name value and didn’t return a 1st included Toffoli, Hall and Rakell.

Only so many 1sts move. C & D get priority.

 

[Midnight Judges]

I wouldn't touch him with a 10 foot pole as a UFA this offseason, but I think he'll be a fantastic addition as a playoff rental who is currently in "give a crap" mode trying to boost his next UFA contract value

Exactly right. Mantha in a contract year is just fine.

I feel sorry for anyone who gives him term though.

 

[Ted Hoffman]

Mantha is ... a body. Can score - has 20 this year, on pace to make a push for 30. He could also end the season with 22 and it wouldn't surprise anyone. He doesn't make a line worse, but he doesn't make it better either. You watch him and think "he could do some more" and he doesn't and you don't know why he doesn't, but you also know he's not going to and you're not pissed off about it.

Good deal for the Caps. I don't know that Vegas regrets this, but I can also see Vegas looking back and saying "yeah, it didn't really move the needle at all for us."

 

[SDBondra]

Dude just glides around and occasionally makes a cool play and/or beats up Cousins. Happy to have the picks.

 

[TheBeard]

Sure i think Guentzel is worth that but find Mantha to be the better value. theoretically Vegas could now use their 1st+ to go for Hanifin if they wanted for instance.

A lot of these top teams need more of a depth/secondary even strength scorer and Mantha fits the description nicely at a fair price

Unless Vegas is moving roster pieces and/or Calgary is retaining Noah ain’t going there.

 

[nbwingsfan]

Heavy ahh team gets even heavier. He's gonna fit like a glove.

If he played any semblance of a heavy game I’d believe that. Hopefully for them he gets his first ever playoff goal

 

[pman25]

Unless Vegas is moving roster pieces and/or Calgary is retaining Noah ain’t going there.

Just an example for illustrative purposes. Vegas retains their 1st for a big fish.

I don’t actually have a good read on what their needs are. But they like shiny things so I assume Hanifin. Maybe even Guentzel and double down on scoring wingers!

 

[Lindberg Cheese]

Sure i think Guentzel is worth that but find Mantha to be the better value. theoretically Vegas could now use their 1st+ to go for Hanifin if they wanted for instance.

A lot of these top teams need more of a depth/secondary even strength scorer and Mantha fits the description nicely at a fair price

Arguably, picking up Gagner for free is better value

 

[LTIR]

Nobody want to touch him with a 10 ft pole and now worth that much! Ok Vegas!

... but I like it! Mantha can rebound

2nd + 4th isn't much considering the cost to acquire Guentzel as rental

 

[Rude Dog]

I think Mantha has more to offer. Good trade vegas

 

[TheBeard]

Just an example for illustrative purposes. Vegas retains their 1st for a big fish.

I don’t actually have a good read on what their needs are. But they like shiny things so I assume Hanifin. Maybe even Guentzel and double down on scoring wingers!

I don’t know how much value a late first has and their prospects don’t exactly move the needle in comparison to some other teams. At this point I would be shocked if they reel in a big fish and if they do it may really come back to bite them harder than any other time they did the same.

 

[Brent Burns]

Great pickup imo

 

[The Devilish Buffoon]

I didnt expect much (or any) more than this in return for Tarasenko and the NMC could be a limiting factor, but man oh man Tarasenko is head and shoulders a better option than Mantha imo

 

[vanarchy]

True, but it also tells me they're convinced Stone is coming back in the playoffs. This isn't the kind of move you make to counter his loss.

That almost goes without saying. He’ll be back game 1 somehow

 

[Chainshot]

Mantha is undervalued at this point. Can’t shed the “lazy work ethic” label over the years. Results speak for themselves though, he’s scoring at a good clip almost entirely at even strength too, and he doesn’t really get hemmed in his own zone.

There’s just something about watching him or his skating style that makes people thinks he’s bad or lazy or something. I can’t quite figure it out. He’s a good player. Vegas should be happy.

I think he’s a smarter acquisition at a 2nd/4th instead of forking over a 1st and a top prospect for Guentzel

Plenty of tall players who get by on skill rather than force get the lazy tag and rarely ever shake it even if their play dictates otherwise.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

If I were a Vegas van I'd be a little underwhelmed by this, not even because he's not a good player because he is but Vegas always goes after the big fish, the Eichel's, Stones, AP's, even MAF although that was via expansion draft.

If I were a Vegas I'd be expecting Guntzle, or Buch out of St Louis, preferably Buch because of the extra year.

If Mantha is their big deadline add I think Vegas fans will be and should be unsatisfied.

They have been taught to expect more.

 

[Midnight Judges]

Good for the Caps to get some value out of this. Before the season started none of us would have thought that was possible. This is selling high.

 

[PaulD]

Great acquisition by Knights. Take him over Guentzel all day long.

 

[TheBeard]

That almost goes without saying. He’ll be back game 1 somehow

They’ll never say it but if they know that as fact then there needs to be an investigation.

 

[Petes2424]

We’ll see if it takes them out of the Guentzel thing, but Duclair would fit real nice with Vegas at a lower cost.. It’s just interesting they didn’t settle for Mantha. They went and got him.

Hanifin is the move that still makes them the most dangerous. To have all 3 pairings driving play would make them really hard to play against, in a 7 game series.