Enough already

If the caps had to retain half and pay a late pick to move him, I’d say screw it and just do it. I’m so tired of thinking he’ll bounce back. He makes us look stupid for believing in him.

At some point reality needs to be addressed. Reality is he actively hurts the team when he is on the ice. Isn't even a direct reference to that last game against Pittsburgh last year, him turning the puck over in a completely stupid play to lose the game and kill any hope at the playoffs. All the physical tools to be a great player, none of the mental.

It's what separates guys like David Pastrnak from Brock Boeser. Both are power wingers who should create offense. Pasta is a guy who has the tools to dominate at this level, and the "**** you" mentality to back it up and use it positively. Boeser, as much as I like him as a guy, does not. He's had every opportunity to show he can, and it just hasn't been consistent in Vancouver.

Mantha is the latter, in the worst way.

Also should be remembered they could have solved this entire problem months ago by just biting the bullet and buying Mantha out. Now they're gonna have to add assets to dump his worthless ass.

Does the salary freed up from buying Mantha out last summer turn the Capitals from a mediocre team to a cup contender? Does the additional $2M in salary next summer help or hinder the management group with handing out the second contracts to the wave of RFAs the Capitals have? Do the assets used in dumping Mantha hold more value to the Capitals as picks/prospects than the cap space?

I've some renewed interest in the Capitals with Miroshnichenko playing so well during the preseason, forgive the intrusion. But I think the Caps management is making the right play here. As a fan, I recognize how much this sucks. I'm probably going to experience something similar while McDavid is in his twilight, should he stay in Edmonton.

Even in this scenario, you aren't using the cap space from a Mantha buyout to do anything with. You've just replaced the roster slot, and you'll achieve as much by burying him in Hershey without incurring the extra cap hit next year or loss of assets. The Caps recognize that the mountain to climb back to contention in the Metro right now is steep and that they're a few steps back of a wildcard berth unless the Atlantic division collapses in on itself (possible).