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Washington Capitals may lose key player after playoff run
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The Washington Capitals are locked in and preparing for a huge second-round playoff battle against the Carolina Hurricanes, but some fans already have an eye on the NHL offseason. General manager Chris Patrick will have some tough roster decisions to make, one of the biggest surrounding forward Andrew Mangiapane.
The Washington Capitals wrapped up their series against the Montreal Canadiens in just five games.
While the team's stars delivered when it mattered most, key contributions from depth players like Anthony Beauvillier and Andrew Mangiapane have quietly been a huge part of their success - and are set to become UFA's in the offseason.
Even with the playoffs in full swing, the offseason is right around the corner, and general manager Chris Patrick will soon be faced with some tough decisions about which players to bring back.
Washington Capitals could lose Andrew Mangiapane
According to the NHL, Andrew Mangiapane was traded to the Washington Capitals from the Calgary Flames back in July of 2024.
In exchange for the 28-year-old forward, the Flames received a second-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft that originally belonged to the Colorado Avalanche.
Since then, Mangiapane has quietly found a home on the Capitals bottom 6, scoring 14 goals this season propelling the capitals to the top of the league.
While Andrew Mangiapane has been rock solid, you would be remiss not to acknowledge Anthony Beavillier's contributions to the team -- especially in these past few weeks.
When GM Chris Patrick acquired Anthony Beauvillier from the Pittsburgh Penguins, it was considered a fairly low-risk scenario.
Well, fast forward to the playoffs, Anthony Beauvillier has been instrumental to the Capitals success.
According to Puckpedia, Anthony Beauvillier is signed to a 1 year, $1,250,000 contract with a cap hit of $1,250,000 per season. His contract was signed on July 1, 2024, and expires at the end of the 2024-25 season.
That said, Beauvillier's breakout performance has certainly positioned him for a raise.
If he keeps producing on the top line, he'll have every reason to push for a deal in the $3-4 million range, a move that could effectively squeeze Andre Mangiapane out of the picture.
So the question becomes: do the Cap's lock in Beauvillier and bet on his continued success, or do they play it safe by re-signing a reliable bottom-six option like Mangiapane on a longer, value-friendly deal.
Time will tell.
| POLL | ||
MAI 2 | 65 ANSWERS Washington Capitals may lose key player after playoff run Who do you think Washington Capitals GM Chris Patrick should sign during the NHL offseason? | ||
| Anthony Beauvillier | 43 | 66.2 % |
| Andrew Mangiapane | 22 | 33.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
