The 28-year-old is aiming to have a 60-point season with the Capitals.

Anthony Mantha was not afraid to admit at the podium on Washington Capitals breakdown day that he had a disappointing season, and he went on to voice his desire to bounce back and return stronger with a better offseasaon.

Mantha has lived up to that promise and caught up with French publication RDS to discuss his progress and outlook for next season.

The 28-year-old said that his "reset" began with his summer wedding in Banff, Alberta. After tying the knot and going on his honeymoon, Mantha was able to press pause and reflect, and then, he returned on a mission: to work on himself.

"Then, I doubled up on training. We've still got four or five weeks to go, and I've got to keep it up," he said, per a DeepL translation.

Mantha has been working with trainer Stéphane Dubé and strength and conditioning coach and nutrition consultant Jean-François Gaudreau, who had also helped former teammate Lars Eller.

The results have been great for the 6-foot-5 winger, who says that he lost several pounds and wants to be at least 10 pounds lighter than he was last season, as he weighed in at 242. His target is 232, while Dubé wants him to come in at 227 or 228 pounds.

"Weight loss [helps] to be faster next season. I felt like I was missing a little spark in my game in that respect. Being stronger and leaner to be more explosive," Mantha explained.

"He was playing around 240 pounds; that's heavy. It's not like he's got a lot of fat; we just want to get him down a bit more. It's going to make a big difference, that's for sure," Dubé added in the interview, also saying, "With his strength and power, without the extra baggage, it's going to be pretty dangerous for his speed."

Since losing weight and changing his diet, his trainers have seen a difference in the way he moves on the ice.

"I'm already seeing an improvement in his agility and speed, and we're not done yet," Dubé said.

Mantha's motivation and bounceback efforts are also powered by the fact that he wants to be there for his teammates, who he didn't feel he helped enough in 2022-23. He put up 11 goals and 12 assists for 23 points in 67 games last season, and he was also a healthy scratch at several points.

"I don't think I was present and involved enough for my team. Whether it's points, checking or all the little details," Mantha said. "I want to be ready this year."

His struggles led to a noted lack of confidence, which Mantha confided to The Hockey News hit an "all-time low" after his healthy scratches last winter. He also noted that this is a contract year and that his goal is to put up at least 60 points, which will hopefully lead to a long-term extension in D.C. or somewhere else.

"I need to have a big season. There's no hiding the fact that this is the last year of my contract and I'd like to bounce back," Mantha said. "It's practically a second chance after last season. I've had other seasons that we're so good... I know how to come back strong."

Mantha and former Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette appeared to not see eye-to-eye, though No. 39 denied any tension in that relationship. However, he's excited to play for a new coach and to work with Spencer Carbery, who has helped numerous prospects reach their potential over the years. And so far, the conversations have been positive.

"We've spoken together three times this summer. We're trying to focus on when my performances were good," Mantha said, noting that Carbery also reached out to Detroit Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill, who worked with Mantha during his Detroit tenure. "... We're going to do some video and change the game system. I'll have some homework to do."

As for the trade and buyout rumors that have led to Mantha's name popping up all over social media, Google and trade boards on big-name sites, the Quebec native is tuning out the outside noise. However, he did admit that moving on is a realistic possibility.

"I block everything out, I'm able to ignore what's being said... I've had more of a mentality that it's a business [since I got traded in 2021]," Mantha said, also acknowledging, "We're definitely going to move and play somewhere else, so I'm trying to stay focused."