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On Tuesday, the Vegas Golden Knights acquired power forward Anthony Mantha from the Washington Capitals in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2024 NHL draft and a fourth-round pick in the 2026 NHL draft.
Drafted No. 20 overall by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2013 draft, Mantha joined the Washington Capitals in the 2020-21 season. He was a part of their roster for the last four seasons, appearing in 174 games.
Anthony Mantha is in the final year of his four-year, $22.8 million deal signed with the Red Wings in 2020. As part of the trade, the Washington Capitals will retain 50% of his salary.
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Here's how NHL fans reacted to the trade, with one tweeting:
"Highway robbery"
Another chimed in:
"Vegas gonna be really sad when they see how slow and horrible Mantha is. As a wings fan I’ve seen it. Can get hot and score a bit but is lazy, slow and turns over pucks."
Here are some of the other top reactions on X:
What does Anthony Mantha's deal mean for the Golden Knights?
The Golden Knights were in dire need of reinforcement on offense. The defending Stanley Cup winners played their last six games without captain Mark Stone, who has been dealing with an upper-body injury since Feb. 20.
According to reports, Stone is expected to be sidelined for a significant period, meaning he could miss the playoffs. The Golden Knights were also without their key player Jack Eichel, who played his first game in two months during the Knights' 6-3 defeat to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Other players for the Golden Knights who are out due to injuries include William Carrier and Pavel Dorofeyev, who've been placed on IR.
The addition of Anthony Mantha should provide the much-needed depth for the Golden Knights' offense and hope to have a jump start, especially after winning only two of their last 10 games with a goal differential of -11.
This season, the 29-year-old power forward has garnered 34 points through 20 goals and 14 assists in 56 games. Meanwhile, the defending champions Golden Knights are third in the Pacific Division with 73 points (37-20-2).
They will next be up against the division leaders Vancouver Canucks on Thursday.
