Report: Capitals place inconsistent right wing on trade block

Although there was a subtle expectation that he would eventually be put on the trading block, Sammi Silber of The Hockey News reports that Washington Capitals’ forward Anthony Mantha has officially been put on the trade block. He is entering the final year of a four-year, $22.8M contract extension signed with the Detroit Red Wings after the start of the 2020-21 NHL season.

In Mantha’s case, it will be particularly hard to gauge the potential trade value he might bring on the market this offseason. On one end, he has shown flashes in the past of being a potential 30-goal scorer at the professional level. He has also shown flashes of being a pure salary dump.

This season, playing on a struggling Washington team, Mantha hit the ice in 67 contests, scoring 11 goals with 16 assists. It was a far cry from the 49-goal, 96-point pace he carried in Detroit between 2017-19.

Simply to hypothesize, there are actually a few teams that may benefit from Mantha' s playing style. Although not maximizing his full offensive potential up to this point, Mantha has excelled throughout his career in terms of possession. His career average of 57.0 is by no means at the top of the NHL, but would generally be regarded as a solid number for most players.