While the fans may be returning to Capital One Arena, Jakob Vrana and Richard Panik are not. The Capitals traded Vrana and Panik to the Red Wings for forward Anthony Mantha on Monday the 12th. In addition, with the trade, a 2021 First Round and 2022 Second Round Draft pick were also included. What makes a player like Anthony Mantha so powerful and worth all that the Caps offered? Well for starters, Anthony Mantha is a though player with the physical demeanor teams covet. The Capitals were struggling to maintain their first place standing in their division last week, the team noticed and recognized this. The goal of any team is to come out on top, whether this be through improving the play of the team or making trades to improve personnel. Trading for Mantha was crucial, and it came as a surprise as the Red Wings are in no position to be sacrificing top talent. Now they will be getting a haul in return. Vrana and Paink are sturdy veterans who will now be crucial elements for the Red Wings in helping to rebuild their team. Since the trade, the Capitals have been returned to the top of their division.

In a victory against the Flyers on April 13, John Carlson hit two major career accomplishments: his 400th career assist and 800th career game. Nikalas Backstrom also reached a milestone, playing his 1,000th career game against the Sabres on April 15. In honor of this, all Capital players wore number 19 jerseys in warmups. The Capitals will finish off the week with a rematch against the Flyers on the 17th. They’ll continue to keep an eye on Antony Mantha in the weeks approaching the playoffs, as time will only tell what happens. 

As the Nationals’ season continues, players and coaches continue to have discussions. The discussion as of right now is where they want to focus their attention.The Nationals have had their ups and downs throughout the season, as their lineup has been questioned multiple times over the past couple of games. More specifically, the Nationals’ game against the LA Dodgers, in which the top players struggled mightily. A key factor in this was that some essential players were missing due to Covid-19. Thus, putting pressure on Juan Soto and Trea Turner to perform well. This added pressure will continue to be thorn in the Nationals’ side until they improve their play. The team is currently discussing potential changes to their starting lineup. As of now, Pitcher Patrick Corbin is cleared and will be on the starting lineup against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Like Washington, the Diamondbacks have a middling offense, which will make the four upcoming games very intriguing.

With the NFL Draft only two weeks away, the Washington Football Team is on the lookout for potential prospects to form a more foundational offensive. This included the hunt for a future quarterback, as the team is currently rumored to be interested in Davis Mills out of Stanford. Mills is the type of player that Washington will be able to pick up in the second or third rounds, which allows them to fill out the rest of their roster earlier on in the draft. Currently Kyle Allen and Taylor Heinicke are the current backups at the position. If Mills were to be added, he’d be the fourth quarterback on the roster. So what’s to like about the player? Well, Mills was serviceable in limited time at Stanford. He has a good arm and is one of the most accurate passers in the draft. However, he did not meet up to scouts’ expectations in the season. There is some eventual starting potential for the player, however his physical limitations set a somewhat sturdy ceiling. The addition of another linebacker could be crucial for Washington in the upcoming season. An intriguing option in the first round is Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah out of Notre Dame. He’s an elite athlete who has of all the traits Ron Rivera would be looking for. If Washington can manage to pick up “JOK,” the already sensational defense could be brought up to another level.

With the amount of talk of potential players that could be picked in the draft, the addition of tight end Sammis Reyes has been overlooked. Reyes was raised in Chile, and at the age of 14 he moved to the U.S without knowing a word of english. His original goal was to play in the NBA so he put all his time into basketball. However, after spending time in the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program, he was spotted by multiple scouts, and was ultimately picked up by Washington. Reyes is not to be overlooked as he states, “No one is going to outwork me”. The former hooper is nothing short of an athletic freak. At 6’6″ and 264 lbs, he ran a 4.65 40-yard dash and jumped a 40″ inch vertical. These numbers rank among the highest percentiles for his size. Despite little experience, everybody should keep an eyer out for this guy. Over the past few months, the Washington Football Team has managed to develop unlike any other team. Well, a team with no name, has made a name for itself. 

Most would say the Wizards have had a tough season. With a record of 21-33 and currently residing in 12th place of the Eastern Conference, i is not looking good for the team. Many would contest that the talent just isn’t good enough. However, for a bottom-dwelling franchise, Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook, two multi-time all stars, are sensational athletes. It’s the amount of pressure that has been put on these two players that is driving the team into a brick wall. The Wizards need to strengthen their foundation before next season, or else they will see no marks of improvement. Aside from the recent struggles, the Wizards did manage to win twice in row this past week. One of the wins being against the Jazz, who are atop the Western Conference standings. The team has no excuse as to why they cannot continue to play this way, especially with their new addition Jordan Bell. The former Oregon product will play in the upcoming games against the Pelicans and Pistons. Picking up Bell was a smart decision, as it provides more defense to an already lacking lineup. Where the team will end up at the end of the week, is truly anyone’s say at this point.