To me, Mantha and Sheary have looked like very similar players in a Caps uniform. Mantha has a bigger body and Sheary consistently puts in a bit more effort, but that’s about it. The difference in acquisition and cap hit costs is huge, though.
Hoping a full season with the Caps makes all the difference and Mantha becomes a dominating force, because what we need from his top-6 wing position right now is someone who better drives and dictates play. Mantha seems to go at the pace and intensity of his line mates more often than not, and removing Vrana’s speed from the equation is unfortunate.
The 2nd to move Panik out was absolutely worth it, but so far I’m not sure why anyone would value Mantha at more than either Vrana or the first.