The Vegas Golden Knights have confirmed they will not be re-signing Anthony Mantha, a pending unrestricted free agent.
Mantha joined the Golden Knights at the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline, coming from the Washington Capitals. Despite the high hopes, the move didn’t pan out as planned. Vegas was unable to defend their championship title, falling in a seven-game series to the Dallas Stars in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Reflecting on their decisions, the Golden Knights have decided to let Mantha go. He will explore the open market when free agency begins on July 1.
“Vegas made it clear that they were not going to put me back under contract,” Mantha told RDS. “I’m excited, but at the same time, I’m stressed as everything comes into play. We’ll see, whether it’s July 1 or a little later. Hoping we will have good news.”
Mantha had a decent stint with Vegas, scoring 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in 18 regular-season games, averaging 14:26 of ice time per game. However, he suffered a minor injury late in the season and was quiet in the playoffs. The Quebec native played in only the first three of seven playoff games, recording no points and ending with a minus-1 rating.
Before joining Vegas, Mantha had a strong regular season with Washington, scoring 20 goals for the first time since 2018-19. He accumulated 34 points and a plus-5 rating in 56 games for the Capitals, reviving his career with a total of 44 points—the most since his 48-point season in 2018-19.
The 29-year-old forward was in the final year of a four-year, $22.8 million contract ($5.7 million average annual value) initially signed with the Detroit Red Wings in 2020.
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