Anthony Mantha Told He Is Done in Vegas

When the Vegas Golden Knights acquired Anthony Mantha at the trade deadline from the Washington Capitals, it was seen as a nice move, as the nine-year veteran was having a revitalized season with 20 goals in 56 games.

But Mantha's production plummeted in Vegas, scoring just three times in 18 games, and after going pointless in the first three games of their first-round series loss to the Dallas Stars, he was benched for the final four games of the series.

Now, the 29-year-old impending unrestricted free agent says he has been told by the Golden Knights that he will not be retained, and he will be hitting the open market.

Vegas made it clear that they were not going to put me back under contract.

Mantha, from Longueuil, Quebec, was at a golf tournament in the province this week, and revealed those plans to RDS.

“I'm excited, but at the same time I'm stressed as everything comes into play,” he said. We'll see, whether it's July 1st or a little later. Hoping we will have good news."

Overall, his 23-goal, 44-point season was a huge improvement for Mantha from the previous campaign when he managed just 11 goals. It was also his first time returning to the 20-goal club in five years. The former first-rounder (2013 Draft, 20th overall) began his career with the Detroit Red Wings with three strong seasons, including 24- and 25-goal years.

He'll now try to parlay his rejuvenated season into a free agent deal.