Oilers could have trade interest in Capitals forward Anthony Mantha: report
The Edmonton Oilers search for a top-six winger has reportedly hit the US capital.
With the Pacific Division race as tight as ever, the Oilers are looking for a bonafide scoring winger to help out their second line, specifically on the right wing. That position has been a revolving door for most of the season, with Connor Brown not being able to take the spot and Mattias Janmark most recently getting an audition.
This has made it difficult to keep Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl on separate lines, which is the preference, according to Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch. Names like Jake Guentzel, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Pavel Buchnevich have been considered potential targets. However, Anthony Mantha of the Washington Capitals is the latest player to be linked to Edmonton.
On the latest edition of the 32 Thoughts podcast with Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek, there was some talk about Mantha being a player of interest for Oilers GM Ken Holland.
“Washington has been trying to trade Mantha for a long time,” reported Friedman. “Who knows Anthony Mantha better than anyone else?”
“Ken Holland…Ken Holland drafted him. The Edmonton [Oilers] are looking for a winger,” replied Marek.
Mantha would certainly be an under-the-radar acquisition if the Oilers decided to go that route. He lacks the solid track record that other bigger names on the trade market have, but the 29-year-old has had a sneaky good season in Washington.
In 53 games, Mantha has 18 goals and 31 points while playing on the Capitals’ second line with Connor McMichael and Aliaksei Protas. While those are two great young players, he would be with much better linemates in Edmonton, notably Draisaitl, which could help that production spike a bit more.
Not to mention some feistiness, as he recently dropped the gloves with known pest Nick Cousins in a game against the Florida Panthers.
Friedman also brought up the fact that Mantha should be motivated to be at the top of his game since he is on an expiring contract and will be playing for his next deal. As it stands, any trade for Mantha would require some sort of salary retention as he carries a cap hit of $5.7 million.
What a deal could look like is not easy to parse out. Would the Oilers be okay with selling this year’s first-round pick and a prospect or roster player for Mantha? It should be said that Mantha is coming off several disappointing seasons in both Washington and Detroit. Would Ken Holland part with Warren Foegele in a deal despite the Oilers forward having just two fewer points?
It’s a more difficult trade to make sense of, but it could wind up being a better low-cost acquisition than some of the other guys out there. It also helps that Holland knows this player better than most.
We’ll see if it gets done before next week’s trade deadline on March 8.
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