In Mantha, the Caps gain a third power forward to include in their top six along with Alex Ovechkin and Tom Wilson. The winger is signed for three years beyond the current campaign at a salary cap hit of $5.7 million, which is likely in the ballpark of what Vrana would command as an impending RFA.
Mantha was Detroit's first-round pick (20th overall) in the 2013 NHL Draft. The 26-year-old Quebec native has amassed 95 goals and 194 points in 302 career NHL contests with a Red Wings team that hasn't had nearly as much offensive talent as Washington. His nightly average ice time has climbed from 15:54 in his first full season in the League in 2016-17 to 18:54 last season, before declining slightly to 18:15 this season.
In his last 85 NHL games - the sum total of last season and this season - Mantha has piled up 27 goals and 32 assists for 59 points, with eight goals and three assists coming on the power play. A 6-foot-5, 234-pound winger, he is tough to handle down low in the offensive zone and along the walls. Although not as fleet afoot as the speedy Vrana, Mantha skates well for his size. Mantha has put up strong possession numbers on a weak Wings team as well.
Since the start of the 2017-18 NHL season, Mantha has a 6.6 relative shot attempt percentage at 5-on-5, which is the second highest rate in the League among players with 200 or more games played over that span, trailing only Boston's Patrice Bergeron (7.2%).
Vrana was also a first-round pick, chosen 13th overall in the 2014 NHL Draft. A member of Washington's 2017-18 Stanley Cup championship team, Vrana scored 24 goals the following season and 25 last season. His production and ice time both dipped a bit this season, and the Caps opted to upgrade his lineup slot to try to make a run at another Stanley Cup this spring and summer.
With Vrana's departure, the Caps are down to nine players remaining from their Stanley Cup run of three years ago.
Panik spent the last two seasons in the District, totaling a dozen goals and 31 points in 95 games for the Caps. He was a 16-minute a night player in the two seasons prior to his arrival here, but was only used for 11:26 per night during his days in D.C. Detroit becomes the sixth NHL team for Panik, who is now in his ninth NHL season.
The 30-year-old Panik's cap hit of $2.75 comes off the books for the next two seasons.