Anthony Mantha on the move to Canada?!
Speculation surfaces with a possible move in the cards for the Capitals’ forward:
HockeyFeed
It’s been a well-known fact out of Washington that the Capitals have been looking at moving forward Anthony Mantha, who is in a contract year and carries a cap hit of $5.75 million. The start of the 2023-24 season for the Capitals and Mantah: cap complications and injuries landed him on the fourth line in five of their first six games, but finally on Wednesday, Mantha broke out and earned more shifts and ice time. That way, he is getting showcased to all teams out there who might have an interest in the veteran forward.
According to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, the Montreal Canadiens could be tempted to bring Mantha home.
“Cycling back to the Canadiens, I’m told the Habs did indeed have a conversation with the Washington Capitals about local boy Anthony Mantha and Montreal forward Joel Armia was part of the discussion, but I am not sure Washington would have been his final landing spot. Those talks have quieted down but could get revisited if the Capitals reengage.”
Pagnotta isn’t the only saying that the Canadiens are looking to move Armia as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman recently reported that the veteran forward was being shopped in Montreal.
However, Friedman quickly pointed out to a significant issue when it comes to moving Armia. He carries an average annual value of $3.4 million through 2024-25 and way too many teams across the league are cap-strapped at the moment. If Habs general manager Kent Hughes is willing to retain some salary to move him, Armia could be the one on the move in this rumoured early-season trade in Montreal and Washington could be his landing spot.
Goalie Cayden Primeau has also been named as a trade chip for the Canadiens, but in recent reports, he was not on the table when it came to the Capitals and Mantha.
Let’s see if rumours pick up and what it means for Mantha, who is looking to bounce back from his disappointing 2022-23 campaign and once again becoming a top-6 contributor.
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