While the Penguins are known to be selling, they did make an intriguing addition in free agency earlier this month as they signed winger Anthony Mantha to a one-year, $2.5MM contract with another $2MM in bonuses tied to games played. Speaking with reporters yesterday including Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the 30-year-old indicated that he has fully recovered from the torn ACL that ended his 2024-25 campaign after just 13 games. Mantha also noted that Pittsburgh showed interest in him last summer but he ultimately signed a one-year, $3.5MM pact with Calgary. With 303 points in 507 career NHL games, Mantha, if healthy, could be an intriguing piece for the Penguins next season, both as a player and a potential trade candidate.
More from the Metropolitan:
- For the second straight summer, the Blue Jackets are dealing with a public trade request. While there wasn’t much of a market for Patrik Laine a year ago, Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch opines that this shouldn’t be the case this time around when it comes to winger Yegor Chinakhov, who made his request public last week. With Chinakhov making a much more affordable $2.1MM (compared to Laine’s $8.7MM) and being on the final year of his contract, he should have a decent market, one that should allow Columbus to land an NHL-proven piece coming the other way.
- After committing to play for Michigan State yesterday, Flyers prospect Porter Martone will not be attending training camp in the fall, GM Daniel Briere acknowledged to Kevin Kurz of The Athletic (subscription link). Martone was the sixth overall selection in the draft last month but decided the best thing for his development would be to go to college, a decision he kept Philadelphia informed about along the way. Martone could theoretically still make his NHL debut next season as he’d be a potential candidate to sign once his season with the Spartans comes to an end.
Chinakhov for Robertson just makes too much sense.
I sure hope you mean Nick Robertson…
In what universe?
yes sorry. Nick not Jason of course. both are poor defensively but Chinakhovs size would be welcomed y this Leafs FO.
Is Briere still GM this time next year?
Yes
? As a fan I’m happy with him reducing the bad contracts and building up pics. On the other hand, he is given out some puzzling contracts and made some highly questionable draft picks.
For decades the Flyers organization has been infatuated with putting former flyers in crucial positions. And what do we have to show for it.
What is going on in Philly? Losing Carter Hart and Torts makes this team much much worse.
How so? They had no choice with Hart. And did you watch them at all this past season? Torts’ time had run out.