Pending UFA Anthony Mantha says Vegas Golden Knights told him he won’t be back | TSN

It appears Anthony Mantha is set to find a new home as an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

Mantha told Catherine Savoie of RDS that he was informed by the Vegas Golden Knights that he will not be re-signed by the team, who acquired him at the trade deadline.

The 29-year-old forward had three goals and 10 points in 18 games with the Golden Knights after being traded from the Washington Capitals, and went without a point in three playoff games. Vegas sent a second-round pick in this year’s draft and a 2026 fourth-rounder to Washington for Mantha, who finished the year with a total of 23 goals and 44 points in 74 games between the two teams.

Mantha enters free agency after playing out a four-year, $22.8 million contract signed with the Red Wings in 2020. That deal carried a cap hit of $5.7 million, which the Capitals retained 50 per cent of in the March trade.

Selected 20th overall by the Red Wings in the 2013 draft, he was traded to the Capitals in 2021. Mantha is a three-time 20-goal scorer and has topped 50 points twice, but last did so in 2017-28 with Detroit. 

Cap space continues to be an issue for the Golden Knights, with CapFriendly projecting the team will have $6.2 million in space this summer, including LTIR relief, with 20 players already under contract for next season.