Capitals Looking To Trade Anthony Mantha, Bolster Top Six
- The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta shared that the Washington Capitals are attempting to assess the trade value of forward Anthony Mantha. Mantha has failed to live up to the expectations set for him in Washington, getting healthy scratched for the team’s October 16th game against Calgary. Pagnotta shares that Washington will look to bolster their top-six, mentioning Conor Garland as a potential trade target.
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Washington Places Lindgren On IR, Recalls Häman Aktell
The Washington Capitals have placed goaltender Charlie Lindgren on injured reserve, recalling defenseman Hardy Häman Aktell in his place. This move likely cements Clay Stevenson as the team’s backup while Lindgren is out. Stevenson was recalled to the NHL on October 16th, in response to Lindgren being announced as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. Washington hasn’t turned to Stevenson yet, although he’ll be making his NHL debut when he’s able to slot into the lineup.
Despite being moved to injured reserve, there has been no formal update on what is holding Lindgren out. The 29-year-old goaltender left the Capitals’ Monday practice just a few minutes into the skate, after facing the Penguins a few days before. The ambiguity around his ailment makes it hard to project just how long Lindgren will be out, although his injured reserve designation means he’ll miss at least a week of play. Lindgren is in his second season with the Capitals, appearing in starting 26 games and appearing in 31 over the course of last season. He recorded a 26-13-11 record in those appearances, tallying a .899 save percentage and 3.05 goals-against-average as well.
Hardy Häman Aktell could be in line for his NHL debut with this recall. The 25-year-old defenseman has appeared in two games with the AHL’s Hershey Bears this season, scoring one goal. This season represents his first in North America, after spending each of the last three seasons with the Växjö Lakers of the SHL. He capped off this stretch with 36 points in 51 SHL games last year.
Alex Ovechkin Held To No Shots On Goal In Back-To-Back Games
It’s been a horrid start to the season for the Capitals, who sit at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division with a 1-2-0 record and just four goals scored. Only the Kraken have potted less while playing in as many games. A fair bit of this poor performance has been precipitated by the unusual early-season struggles of captain Alex Ovechkin – as multiple people have pointed out over the last 12 hours, Ovechkin has now failed to record a shot on goal in back-to-back contests for the first time in his 19-season, 1,350-game NHL career.
- Senators head coach D.J. Smith does not believe defenseman Artem Zub will be out long-term after taking a puck to the jaw in last night’s win against the Capitals. Early in the third period, a shot close in from Ovechkin rocketed up Zub’s stick and hit him in the face, a concerning incident for a player who missed 12 games last season with a broken jaw. Zub has been outstanding in the early going, recording a goal and two assists in four contests and laying a team-high eight hits. The Sens are on a decisive three-game win streak, outscoring opponents by 11 goals in the process. Possession numbers suggest some team-wide regression may be incoming, but it’s a huge improvement over their poor starts to the past few campaigns, derailing hope and chemistry while trying to return to the playoff picture.
Nic Dowd Out With An Injury
The Washington Capitals announced that center Nic Dowd wouldn’t dress for tonight’s game against the Ottawa Senators due to an upper-body injury. There is no information as to when Dowd suffered the injury, or how long the 33-year-old will be out of action. Dowd played over 15 minutes in Washington’s 3-2 shootout win over the Calgary Flames just two nights ago, although he did block seven shots in the Capitals first two games of the season.
Dowd missed practice yesterday in what the Capitals referred to as a maintenance day, he did suit up this morning for the team’s optional skate but didn’t dress for the game tonight.
Dowd has been a mainstay in Washington’s bottom six since signing with the team as a free agent in July 2018, however, he has dealt with multiple absences due to injury in nearly every season. Dowd did play in 65 games last season, his highest total since becoming a Capital. In those games, Dowd posted a career-high 13 goals and 25 points, while registering 61 blocked shots, also the most in his career.
While little is known about Dowd’s injury thus far, the Huntsville, Alabama native did have offseason core surgery and spoke during training camp about injuries becoming part of his reality as an aging NHLer. It’s also a reality the Capitals have had to deal with over the last two seasons as the second-oldest team in the NHL. Last year Washington had the fourth most man games lost due to injury and this season they could fare even worse if their current injury pattern continues. The Capitals are already without defenseman Joel Edmundson, goalie Charlie Lindgren and forward Max Pacioretty.
Anthony Mantha A Healthy Scratch For Washington
The Washington Capitals announced tonight that they’ve made former 25-goal scorer Anthony Mantha a healthy scratch for their game against the Calgary Flames. The forward has struggled with the Capitals since coming over from the Detroit Red Wings in an ill-fated 2021 trade for Jakub Vrana and Richard Panik.
Less than a decade ago, the 29-year-old looked like he would blossom into a perennial 30-goal threat as he posted 25 goals in 67 games during the 2018-19 season. He continued his torrid pace in 2019-20 posting 38 points in 43 games during an injury-marred campaign.
The following offseason the Red Wings signed Mantha to a four-year extension with a $5.7MM cap hit that began to look like a misfire almost immediately. Mantha returned from injury and was never able to get back to the level of play he enjoyed from 2017-2019 as he registered just 11 goals and 10 assists in 42 games before he was dealt to Washington at the NHL trade deadline.
After the move to D.C. Mantha posted slightly improved offensive numbers with 13 goals and 18 assists in his first 51 games as a member of the Capitals. However, last season his point totals fell off a cliff as he had just 11 goals and 27 points in 67 games.
Mantha’s struggles led to speculation that he could be bought out this past June, however, the Capitals elected to keep the forward for the final season of his contract and put him on the trade block to see if they could find him a change of scenery. Nothing materialized on the trade front, which isn’t shocking given how difficult it was to move salary this summer.
The healthy scratch of Mantha early in the season is interesting for several reasons. It shows that the Capitals’ new head coach Spencer Carbery isn’t afraid to sit veterans to ice the best lineup possible, but it also serves as a reminder that Mantha is unlikely to remain in Washington beyond this season. Teams usually like to spend ten games assessing what they have before they decide on a direction for the season but given what has transpired with him over the last year in Washington it appears the Capitals have already made up their mind on the direction to take with Mantha’s future.
Charlie Lindgren Day-To-Day With Undisclosed Injury
Charlie Lindgren has been announced as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury, after prematurely leaving the team’s Monday practice. Lindgren played the entirety of Washington’s recent game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, saving 31 of the 35 shots that he faced. Lindgren is in the second year of a three-year, $3.3MM contract with the Capitals. He played in 31 games last season, starting in 26, recording a 13-11-3 record and a .899 save percentage.
Metropolitan Notes: Couturier, Lindgren Brothers, Nosek, Mayfield
Philadelphia Flyers center Sean Couturier has been off to a strong start since returning from back injuries that sidelined him for nearly two years, notching an assist and a team-high +3 rating in two contests while averaging over 20 minutes per game. However, he’s hit a hiccup in his re-acclimation to everyday play. He is “banged up” and missed practice today, although head coach John Tortorella did confirm nothing is wrong with his back.
Couturier is locking down the team’s first line with Joel Farabee on his left flank, and youngsters Bobby Brink and Tyson Foerster are rotating in on his right. The Flyers likely won’t be sniffing playoff contention this season, but having the 30-year-old Couturier back in action is a huge boost development-wise for a team looking to usher in, quite literally, a new era of orange this season.
Other injury considerations around the Metro this morning:
- Both of the Lindgren brothers are dealing with injuries, starting with New York Rangers defender Ryan Lindgren. He was a late scratch for their loss to Columbus on Saturday, and head coach Peter Laviolette said he’ll once again be a game-time decision for tonight’s contest against the Coyotes. The 25-year-old logged 19:50 in their season-opening win against Buffalo last week.
- Washington Capitals backup Charlie Lindgren is also questionable, leaving practice this morning. Head coach Spencer Carbery could not confirm Lindgren’s status for tonight’s game against Calgary after he allowed four goals in the team’s season opener against Pittsburgh last Friday. He played in relief of starter Darcy Kuemper, who returns to the team tonight after welcoming a son last week.
- New Jersey Devils forward Tomas Nosek is officially out of the lineup tonight after being absent from practice yesterday. He’s day-to-day with a lower-body injury, per Devils reporter Amanda Stein, and Curtis Lazar is expected to return to the lineup tonight against Florida. Nosek, who’s logged 12:10 per game in two contests, is still looking for his first point as a Devil.
- New York Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield is day-to-day after blocking a shot late in Saturday’s win against Buffalo, says head coach Lane Lambert. Mayfield did not practice today due to swelling in his leg, and his status for Tuesday’s game against the Coyotes is uncertain. He played 16:47 in that contest, and Samuel Bolduc will make his season debut on the third pairing should Mayfield be unavailable.
Capitals Assign Clay Stevenson, Recall Aliaksei Protas From AHL
Saturday: With Kuemper back, the Capitals have reversed this transaction, sending Stevenson back to Hershey while recalling Protas.
Friday: The Washington Capitals today recalled netminder Clay Stevenson from the AHL’s Hershey Bears, as starter Darcy Kuemper will miss tonight’s season-opener against the Pittsburgh Penguins after welcoming a son last night. Forward Aliaksei Protas was loaned to Hershey to allow Washington the cap space to recall Stevenson.
Stevenson will backup Charlie Lindgren, who will start opening night for the Caps after recording a .899 save percentage in a career-high 31 games last season. The 24-year-old Stevenson has yet to make his NHL debut after signing with Washington as an undrafted free agent in 2022. In his first pro campaign last season, the former Dartmouth standout assumed the starting role for the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays. He appeared in 36 games there, recording a 2.54 goals-against average, .916 save percentage, three shutouts, and a 19-12-3 record. He also made three appearances for Hershey, going undefeated and posting a sparkling .924 save percentage and 1.96 goals-against average.
In 2023-24, Stevenson will be the primary AHL backup to Hunter Shepard, who broke out for Hershey en route to a Calder Cup win last season and captured the playoff MVP award.
Protas, meanwhile, still does not require waivers to head to the minors and was the odd man out with 2019 first-round pick Connor McMichael locking down a top-six role for opening night. The 22-year-old Belarusian was also a member of the Capitals’ 2019 class and stuck mostly in the NHL last season, notching 15 points in 58 contests. He’ll likely get recalled back to the Capitals’ NHL roster once Kuemper has rejoined the team and Stevenson is returned to Hershey.
Capitals Assign Two, Recall McMichael And Protas
The Washington Capitals have loaned Ivan Miroshnichenko and Riley Sutter to the Hershey Bears of the AHL and recalled Connor McMichael and Aliaksei Protas to the NHL roster. These moves don’t come as a surprise, as Washington needed to first place Max Pacioretty onto long-term injured reserve before they could finalize their opening night roster.
Of note, Hardy Haman Aktell did not get recalled in this transaction; likely a result of Joel Edmundson not being placed on LTIR to start the season. This is a good sign that Edmundson may not be out for much longer, but Washington will be starting the season with 13 forwards and seven defensemen as a result.
These roster moves are headlined by a pair of former First Round picks – McMichael the 25th selection in 2019 and Miroshnichenko the 20th choice in 2022. McMichael joined the Capitals organization a year after his draft day, playing his rookie season in the AHL during the 2020-21 campaign and scoring 27 points in 33 games. Those were impressive enough numbers to earn McMichael a full-time spot on the NHL roster in 2021-22, although he only managed 18 points in 68 games and ultimately earned a demotion to the AHL for last season. On the other hand, Miroshnichenko is brand new to North American pros, coming over from Russia for Washington’s training camp this year. The 19-year-old has been the focus of a lot of scrutiny when it comes to how he was deployed in Russia – finding himself constantly moving back and forth between the country’s second-tier league and their U21 league, the VHL, and MHL respectively, over the last three seasons. His assignment to Hershey will not only represent his first taste of professional hockey overseas, but it should also provide much-needed roster stability. Miroshnichenko was a highly-regarded prospect in his draft year, so attention will undoubtedly be on him as he begins working toward an NHL role.
Summer Synopsis: Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals had a quiet summer, entering the 2023-24 season with only a few key departures and a handful of additions to fill the gaps. They will have to rely on their veterans, but it will be their depth pieces that will likely determine Washington’s playoff hopes.
Draft
1-8: F Ryan Leonard, USNTDP (NTDP)
2-40: F Andrew Cristall, Kelowna (WHL)
4-104: F Patrick Thomas, Hamilton (OHL)
5-136: D Cameron Allen, Guelph (OHL)
7-200: F Brett Hyland, Brandon (WHL)
7-206: G Antoine Keller, Genève-Servette (Swiss U20)
The Capitals’ biggest splash of the summer undoubtedly came in the draft, where they brought in standout names in Leonard, Cristall, and Allen. Leonard headlines the group – a heavy-framed winger with phenomenal play-driving abilities and one of the better shots in the 2023 NHL Draft. He’s a promising forward headed to Boston College for the 2023-24 season, where he’ll stick with his linemates of the past two seasons: Will Smith and Gabriel Perreault.
Cristall was the only player who could challenge Connor Bedard’s scoring in the WHL this year, finishing with a staggering 95 points through only 54 games. He added another six points in seven games at the World U18 Championship, flexing that his scoring prowess isn’t limited to league play. However, many scouts had concerns with Cristall’s skating posture and ability to gel with teammates, leading to questions about his ability to translate to the next level. He’s a dominant winger with a strong shot and a great ability to work into the slot from the boards, but maintaining that dominance in the NHL will be a heavy ask. Cristall was considered a lock for the first round by many public scouting services but fell considerably when draft day came around. He’ll represent a boom-or-bust pick for the Capitals – exactly the thing that could help out the aging organization.
The same ‘boom-or-bust’ prescription can be applied to Cameron Allen, who was arguably the most impressive defender at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup but very quickly lost his steam as the 2022-23 season rolled around. Allen is a tall defender who uses clean strides and good agility to keep up with his forwards and get involved in plays. But as the year went on, his quickness and ability to jump in and out of offensive attacks wore down – leading to disappointing results as Allen only recorded 25 points through 62 games. This was a step down from his rookie season in the OHL, where Allen netted 37 points in 65 games. Once lauded as a potential first-round pick, Allen fell considerably – speaking to the concerns surrounding him. The Capitals may have a long road ahead of them in developing Allen, but his upside could make it worthwhile.
Trade Acquisitions
D Joel Edmundson (trade with Montreal)
The Capitals sent a third and seventh-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft to Montreal in exchange for Joel Edmundson, adding veteran support behind a blueline that doesn’t jump off of the page. While Edmundson has never been dominant, he remains a favorite of NHL execs thanks to his physical presence on the ice and leadership presence in the locker room. Unfortunately, he’ll start the 2023-24 campaign on injured reserve, nursing a fractured hand that required surgery in late September. He was given a timetable of four to six weeks for his return.
UFA Signings
F Matthew Phillips (one year, $775K)
F Alex Limoges (one year, $775K)*
D Chase Priskie (one year, $775K)*
F Max Pacioretty (one year, $2MM)
D Dylan McIlrath (two years, $1.55MM)*
G Hunter Shepard (two years, $1.55MM)*
The Capitals only gave out two one-way contracts to UFAs this summer. Luckily, they were given to two high-impact forwards. Pacioretty joins Washington after missing nearly the entire 2022-23 season with Carolina. Given he missed nearly the entirety of last season thanks to back-to-back Achilles injuries, Pacioretty’s $2MM contract can double in value if he hits all the games-played performance bonuses in his deal. For Washington, it’s a solid bet on a player who was on pace for 40 goals in each of his final two seasons with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2020-21 and 2021-22. The 34-year-old seemed to still have his scoring touch in limited appearances last season with the Hurricanes, too, notching three markers in five contests. If he can slide into a top-six role upon his return, expect him to maintain some semblance of previous form.
The other major player of interest here is Phillips, who’s now made the roster out of training camp after spending years toiling in the minors for the Flames. He’s been one of the more explosive scorers in the AHL over the past two seasons, notching well over a point per game, but only has three NHL appearances to his name. He will increase significantly on that total this season, as he would require waivers to be assigned to AHL Hershey. The 25-year-old is projected to begin the season in a top-nine role.
RFA Re-Signings
D Martin Fehervary (three years, $8MM)
F Riley Sutter (one year, $775K)*
Washington’s lone major RFA signing was Fehervary, a 2018 second-round pick who’s well on his way to a consistent top-four role in the nation’s capital. He spent most of last season stapled to John Carlson on the team’s top pairing (when Carlson was healthy), but that spot is now in jeopardy with the trade acquisition of Rasmus Sandin at the tail end of last season. Still, the 24-year-old averaged 20 minutes per game on the nose last season and should provide dependable play over the next three seasons. He recorded 16 points in 67 contests last year.
Departures
D Bobby Nardella, (HV71, SHL)
F Carl Hagelin, (retirement from NHL)
F Connor Brown, (Edmonton, one year, $775K)
F Conor Sheary, (Tampa, three years, $6MM)
F Craig Smith, (Dallas, one year, $1MM)
D Gabriel Carlsson, (Växjö, SHL)
F Garrett Pilon, (Ottawa, one year, $775K)*
F Kody Clark, (unsigned UFA)
D Matt Irwin, (Vancouver, one year, $775K)*
F Mike Vecchione, (Hershey, AHL)
G Zachary Fucale, (Trakor, KHL)
F Henrik Borgstrom, (Hv71, SHL)
At the beginning of 2022-23, someone looking at this list would have called Brown the biggest departure. However, the winger sustained an ACL injury early in the season that ended his time in D.C. after just four games. It stands to reason, then, that Sheary will leave the biggest hole in the lineup, one that quickly looks to be replaced by a combination of Phillips and the Capitals’ other NHL-ready young talent. He’d been a solid middle-six contributor for the Caps over the past three seasons, solidifying himself as a solid bet for around 15 goals and 40 points.
Hagelin did not play last season as he attempted to rehab eye and hip injuries that eventually forced his retirement from the league. Smith disappointed mightily with the Boston Bruins last season, and he was dealt to Washington in the blockbuster Dmitry Orlov deadline deal. He fared a bit better in Washington, recording five goals in 22 contests, and he’ll now try and add value to the Stars’ fourth line.
Salary Cap Outlook
At the time of publication, the Capitals are in the midst of making paper transactions to maximize the LTIR relief of Pacioretty and Edmundson to begin the season. Because of that, they technically have $0 in cap space at the time of writing, per CapFriendly, but will have $1.75MM in flexibility to play with after placing Edmundson on LTIR (likely later today). That will last until he’s ready to return to the lineup.
Key Questions
Is Sandin The Real Deal?: The 23-year-old defenseman was electric after coming over via trade from Toronto last season, notching 15 points in just 19 games as a Cap while averaging nearly 23 minutes per game. If he can stay anywhere close to that pace next season, he’ll solidify himself as a suitable replacement for Orlov, who flew under the radar for a decade as one of the most underrated complementary players in the league behind Carlson. It’ll also force his value up in contract talks – Sandin is making just $1.4MM against the cap this season but is a restricted free agent next summer. A true breakout campaign could convince Washington to sign him to a long-term extension.
Can The Youth Movement Help Now?: Connor McMichael, Hendrix Lapierre and Ivan Miroshnichenko are all names under 23 looking to log NHL minutes for Washington this season. Can their campaigns be promising enough to convince the Caps’ brass that they’ll be enough to replace the aging core around Alex Ovechkin over the next few seasons as he chases the all-time goals record? If so, the team could look to rebound from an expected mediocre season in 2023-24 and remain closer to playoff contention in their captain’s twilight years.
What’s The Deal In The Crease?: Darcy Kuemper is still an undisputed NHL starter, but injuries remain a concern for the netminder as he enters his age 33 season. Backup Charlie Lindgren had a nice start to last season but flamed out near the end, recording a below-average save percentage of .899 on the year. Kuemper, meanwhile, posted a solid .907 but has also notched over a .920 in three of the last five seasons. He’s due for a bit of positive regression and, if that’s the case, could help keep Washington in the Wild Card conversation later into the season.
Images courtesy of USA Today Sports.