February 26, 2024 | 9:59am ET
TheFourthPeriod.com

MANTHA CONTINUES TO GENERATE INTEREST

Anthony Mantha, forward

Sitting eight points back of a playoff spot, the Washington Capitals are holding on to their playoff lives. But that doesn’t mean they will veer off their trade deadline plans.

Capitals GM Brian MacLellan has been looking to trade forward Anthony Mantha for the last 18 months, give or take, and with the deadline fast approaching, the expectation is Mantha will be on the move.

Mantha, 29, is in the final year of a four-year, $22.8 million contract. He does not own any no-trade protection and is earning $6.5 million in actual salary this season.

Multiple teams are believed to have interest in Mantha, including the Colorado Avalanche, Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs, however the Capitals might need to retain a portion of his $5.7 million salary cap hit to help facilitate a trade.

Mantha is among the players currently ranked on the TFP Trade Watch List.

In addition to Mantha, defenceman Joel Edmundson, left wing Max Pacioretty and forward Nic Aube-Kubel are also playing on expiring contracts and have been discussed with teams. With all three salary retention slots available, the Capitals could eat a portion of three contracts to maximize the return on a deal, even though Pacioretty’s $2 million cap hit is the highest among the additional three – the Montreal Canadiens are eating half of Edmundson’s overall contract.

In Mantha is experiencing a rebound season, having registered 18 goals and 11 assists for 29 points in 52 games with the Capitals so far this season. This season’s goals total is the highest he has hit since the 2018-19 campaign when he was with the Detroit Red Wings.