3 reasons why Anthony Mantha not returning makes sense

The Vegas Golden Knights don't have the cap space

In a perfect world, the NHL would go back to the 1990s, when the salary cap didn't exist. Teams would make like Mike Ilitch and write blank checks for big-time players, whether it was Dominik Hasek or Brett Hull. Such spending sprees would bring baseball-like payrolls, with any team presented the opportunity to compete. Sadly, that world doesn't exist and the NHL has that pesky salary cap.

For the Vegas Golden Knights, having $897,516 in non-LTIR cap space doesn't help. Granted, there's Robin Lehner's deal ($5 million) that can cushion some of the blow. However, it's still not enough to help Anthony Mantha's case, where the limited cap space will impact free agency.

With the Golden Knights looking at all their options regarding Jonathan Marchessault, it makes sense that the former first-round pick won't return. There are more pressing concerns to tackle, with general manager Kelly McCrimmon wondering whether he should go for quality or quantity. Without much cap space, Vegas must shed salary and look at other avenues to building their team, excluding Mantha.