Did Anthony Mantha’s Playoff Performance Hurt His Free Agency Stock?
The Pittsburgh Penguins were bounced by the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 6 of their first-round matchup in dramatic fashion, losing a 1-0 game in overtime on a Cameron York goal. The seeing-eye shot found its way past Penguins goaltender Arturs Silovs and was a microcosm of the series for one player, Anthony Mantha. York was Mantha’s man on the play, and Mantha was two steps too late covering the point, allowing York to fire the game-winning goal. Mantha was invisible in the series, putting up one assist in six games to go along with a -5 and 20 PIM. The worst part of his play was that Mantha looked disinterested at times, missed assignments, took lazy penalties, and found himself largely chasing the game after a magical regular season. All in all, the playoffs may have cost Mantha millions of dollars.
It was just a month ago that the talk was about Mantha getting a four-year deal, with some folks throwing out numbers in the $5-6MM range. It seemed not only probable a month ago but quite likely after the 31-year-old posted 33 goals and 31 assists this season in 81 games. Mantha had been playing under a one-year, $2.5MM (plus $2MM in incentives) “prove it” contract, in the hopes of securing a lucrative contract this summer. However, those types of numbers ($5MM to $6MM) could very well be off the table after Mantha had a poor playoff showing this year. In fact, in 20 career NHL playoff games, Mantha has never scored a goal, tallying just seven assists. It’s a steep decline in production for a player who has four career 20+ goal seasons and averages 50 points per 82 regular-season games.
Mantha will still get some of his money this summer, as NHL general managers are about to see a windfall of cap space they haven’t seen in close to a decade, and the GM fraternity can never seem to help itself when it comes to overspending on a mid-tier free agent who just happened to get hot at the right time. It’s a tale as old as time in the NHL, with some pretty famous examples of players having a good year in their UFA walk year, or even just a good playoff, before getting paid an amount of money that will never line up with their production.
Fernando Pisani, back in 2006, is a great example of this. After a Cinderella run with the Oilers to the Stanley Cup Finals, in which he scored 14 goals and four assists in 24 games, he was rewarded handsomely with a four-year, $10MM contract that offseason. Unfortunately, Pisani never topped 28 points in a season again in his NHL career. There were health concerns with Pisani later in his career, but in any event, reaching those levels again was not likely.
Ville Leino is another great example of a player heating up and cashing in. He turned a 19-goal, 34-assist season in 2010-11 into a lucrative six-year, $27MM contract that was an absolute disaster for the Buffalo Sabres and was eventually bought out in 2014. Leino had never scored more than 11 points in an NHL season prior to his 53-point breakout with Philadelphia , and would tally just 10 goals and 36 assists in 137 games spaced over three seasons with the Sabres.
Mantha will fall into the camp of players who eventually got paid for having a terrific season, but, unlike the Pisani and Leino examples, Mantha does have a track record of scoring in the NHL. However, there are also injury concerns and concerns about his ability to score consistently. He had some lean years after he was traded from Detroit to the Washington Capitals, including 2022-23, when he posted just 11 goals and 16 assists in 67 games. He followed that up with a 44-point campaign in 2023-24 but still had to sign a prove-it contract with the Flames in the 2024 offseason for just $3.5MM.
It’s going to be very tough to gauge how general managers around the league will value what Mantha brings and what he doesn’t. Mantha is a big man, and GMs always love size. However, he plays small and doesn’t always look like he is working hard, which is often true for big men in the NHL. Mantha has other attributes that make him an attractive free-agent target; he can skate well for a big man, handles the puck well, is a good passer, and can shoot.
All of that is great, but this is the knock that has followed him since he was scouted in junior. He doesn’t always seem engaged, and in many games, particularly the big ones such as the recent playoff series with Pittsburgh, you wonder whether Mantha can find the intensity and determination to reach the next level and become a playoff performer. Mantha was often viewed in his draft year as a boom-or-bust prospect, and now 11 years into his NHL career, he is still fitting that label. Mantha was a bust in Washington after a big trade from the Red Wings sent him there, but in Pittsburgh, he was an under-the-radar signing that was a huge win for the Penguins (minus the playoffs). What his next team gets is anyone’s guess, but the $6MM annual offer on a long-term deal that seemed so likely before the playoffs now feels like a reach for Mantha. However, all it takes is one GM fighting for his job to overpay, and Mantha could be a bust once again.
Assessing The Best Free Agent Signings From Summer 2025
As we move into the final month of the season, it has become quite clear which moves from last summer paid off and which ones did not. While long-term effects of summer trades and signings are always part of the picture, it’s interesting to look back and assess the best free-agent signings to see which teams got value for their money and which did not.
Players don’t always succeed immediately with their new teams; sometimes there’s a settling-in period. However, many moves made last summer in free agency have significantly impacted playoff races this year.
For this exercise, we will focus specifically on players who were unrestricted free agents and moved to new teams. This excludes players like Brad Marchand or John Tavares, who re-signed with their respective teams before July 1.
The first player that comes to mind is the Penguins’ top goal scorer, Anthony Mantha, who signed a one-year, $2.5MM contract (plus $2MM in performance bonuses) with the Penguins after missing most of last season with the Flames due to an ACL tear. Many believed that Mantha would have a chance to improve his free-agent stock in Pittsburgh by playing top-six minutes before cashing in during the summer of 2026.
Last summer, the Penguins seemed like a team that would be selling at the trade deadline, so it made sense that they would give Mantha a one-year deal and then trade him for future assets in February or March. However, that outlook couldn’t have been further from the truth, as Mantha has become a key part of a Pittsburgh team that has surprised the NHL this season and remains competitive in the Eastern Conference. With 30 goals and 28 assists in 75 games, Mantha has provided considerable surplus value to the Penguins and is likely to secure a major contract this summer, particularly among one of the thinnest free-agent fields in the salary cap era.
Last year, much of the talk during free agency was that the goaltending market was incredibly thin, and on paper, it certainly looked that way. But that didn’t stop the Buffalo Sabres from exploring the free agency waters, signing Alex Lyon to a two-year, $3MM contract that has proven to be an absolute steal.
Lyon has split duties with his goalie partner, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and has appeared in 35 games this season, posting a record of 20-9-4 with a 2.69 GAA and a .909 SV%. While those stats are solid, the standout figure in Lyon’s line is his goals saved above expected, which currently sits at 14.8 (according to MoneyPuck). Lyon won’t be winning any awards this year, but considering how much money teams are spending on ineffective goaltending, Lyon has been a real boon for Buffalo.
Sticking with the goalies, another underrated signing that has paid off is Daniel Vladař of the Philadelphia Flyers. The 28-year-old was mainly a backup before this season but has become the Flyers’ starting goaltender, dressing in 45 games while posting a 24-13-7 record, a 2.50 GAA, and a .904 SV%.
Vladař has been excellent value on a two-year deal with a $3.35MM AAV. Not only is Vladař’s save percentage above average, but his goals saved above expected is up to 9.6, suggesting that his underlying numbers indicate a goaltender who has stolen some games for Philadelphia.
A signing that didn’t happen until the fall was forward Jack Roslovic, who again had to accept an under-market one-year deal. Roslovic signed a one-year, $1.5MM contract with the Oilers on Oct. 8 after his second straight unsuccessful free agency run, where he failed to secure a multi-year deal that suited him.
In Edmonton, the 29-year-old has already achieved his second straight 20-goal season and has been a reliable playmaker for the Oilers. Given his consistent production over the past two seasons, it’s unlikely he’s willing to settle for another one-year deal, especially in a tight free agent market.
Moving to the backend, veteran Brent Burns was a free agent for the first time in his career at age 40. Burns signed a one-year deal with the Avalanche that included a potential $4MM in bonuses, of which he will likely earn $3MM this season.
Burns is no longer an elite offensive defenseman, but he has still scored 10 goals and 19 assists in 73 games this year while playing in every game and averaging almost 19 minutes per game. Burns has benefited from playing on a top team and from a high PDO, but for a veteran right-shot defenseman or a bargain one-year deal, he’s worked out as well as the Avs could have hoped for.
Finally, we return to the Penguins and the skillful work of general manager Kyle Dubas accomplished in the early days of free agency last year. Not only did Dubas sign 30-goal scorer Mantha, but he also secured Justin Brazeau with a two-year deal worth just $3MM, as well as defenseman Parker Wotherspoon on a two-year, $2MM deal. The contracts gave Dubas a top-nine forward in Brazeau and a top-pairing defenseman to play alongside Erik Karlsson, all at a total cost of $2.5MM per season for this year and the next.
Dubas and Penguins Director of Player Personnel Wes Clark did excellent work last summer, finding players with lots of potential who hadn’t been given the chance to succeed. By betting on low-risk, high-upside free agents, Dubas effectively accelerated the Penguins’ retooling plans, which seemed unlikely just a year ago, when the team had missed the playoffs for a third consecutive year.
Earlier this season, there was talk that Penguins captain Sidney Crosby should request a trade because he might not make the playoffs again. However, thanks to Dubas’s bargain shopping, the Penguins now seem to be on track for the playoffs and have plenty of cap space this summer to strengthen their already impressive lineup.
Penguins Recall Avery Hayes, Joona Koppanen
The Pittsburgh Penguins have added two forwards to the roster ahead of Thursday night’s game against the Ottawa Senators. Winger Avery Hayes and center Joona Koppanen have been recalled from the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Hayes’ recall will help the Penguins addresss a day-to-day injury for winger Anthony Mantha, while Koppanen will shore up the center depth per Taylor Haase of DK Pittsburgh Sports.
Hayes could have the clearer path to a lineup role if Mantha need to miss Thursday’s game. The 23 year old scored two goals in his NHL debut in early February but has struggled to keep scoring on the other side of the NHL’s Olympic break. He has no points in 10 NHL games since, though he has scored nine points in his last seven AHL games. That minor-league scoring brings him up to 32 points in 38 AHL games this season, fourth on Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in scoring.
The Penguins will hope Hayes can rediscover his spark as he steps up for Mantha, who has eight points in his last nine games. All of that scoring was managed over a six-game stretch in mid-March, bringing Mantha up to 26 goals and 53 points in 71 games this season – a new career-high in scoring.
Koppanen hasn’t been in the NHL since November, when he played through a 10-game stint on Pittsburgh’s third-line. He recorded one assist, two penalty minutes, and a minus-one in that span. He also won 12 of the 25 faceoffs he took. Koppanen has filled a stout center role in his minor league minutes, netting 19 points and a plus-14 in 37 games. He brings reliable, two-way depth to the lineup and could help the Penguins make up for an injury to veteran Blake Lizotte.
The Penguins have turned towards Connor Dewar to fill a center role in Lizotte’s absence. He is putting together a career-year on Pittsburgh’s bottom line, with 14 goals, 27 points, and a plus-10 in 71 games – all career highs. That production has kept Dewar in a nightly lineup role, though his role as a faceoff-taker is new. With Koppanen on the roster, Pittsburgh will have the option to move Dewar back to the wing, in place of Elmer Soderblom.
Snapshots: Mantha, Granato, Rasmussen
Penguins winger Anthony Mantha has been a pleasant surprise this season, having a resurgent campaign. However, that’s now on hold for the time being as the team announced (Twitter link) that he’s listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury. The 31-year-old missed most of last year due to injury, allowing him to sign a one-year deal with incentives this season. He has made the most of it, tallying 26 goals and 27 assists in 71 games, setting new career highs across the board offensively. He has reached the first seven levels of his various games-played bonuses (totaling $1.75MM) but will need to play in nine of Pittsburgh’s 11 remaining games in order to receive an additional $250K, giving him some extra incentive to return quickly beyond their battle for a playoff spot in the tight Eastern Conference.
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- Former Sabres head coach Don Granato is set to run a bench once again. USA Hockey announced that Granato has been named as their head coach for the upcoming World Championship. The 58-year-old led Buffalo to a 122-125-27 record over parts of four seasons before being dismissed following the 2023-24 campaign. This will be his first coaching opportunity since then. The tournament is set to run from May 15-31 in Switzerland.
- Red Wings center Michael Rasmussen has yet to resume skating as he continues to work his way back from an undisclosed injury, relays MLive’s Ansar Khan (Twitter link). At this point, he’s still in treatment mode according to head coach Todd McLellan, who noted that he’s still probably at least a week away from returning. While Rasmussen hasn’t been particularly productive this season – just 14 points in 61 games – he’s still an important part of Detroit’s bottom six and penalty kill; getting him back would certainly help in their late-season playoff push.
Penguins Want To Keep Erik Karlsson, Anthony Mantha
At the beginning of the 2025-26 season, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that the Pittsburgh Penguins would trade Erik Karlsson and use Anthony Mantha as a half-year rental before dishing him at the trade deadline. Now, according to Josh Yohe of The Athletic, the Penguins want both players on their opening night roster for the 2026-27 campaign, if not longer.
Before this season, Karlsson looked like a shell of himself, far removed from the Norris Trophy campaign during the 2022-23 season with the San Jose Sharks. From 2023 to 2025, Karlsson scored 22 goals and 109 points in 164 games with a -20 rating, averaging 23:45 of ice time per game. Additionally, his 87.2% on-ice SV% at even strength last season was the worst of his career.
Although that’s typically respectable production from a puck-moving defenseman in his mid-30s, it didn’t justify his $11.5MM salary, $1.5MM of which was being paid by the Sharks. It was particularly his drop-off defensively that had the writing on the wall in Pittsburgh.
However, under head coach Dan Muse, Karlsson has found new life. He’ll finish with similar point totals this year, but he’s been much more responsible in the defensive zone. His 53.8% CorsiFor% at even strength is the best he’s had since he was 28, and his 89.7% oiSV% at even strength is right on line with his career average.
According to Yohe, instead of trading Karlsson this offseason, the Penguins may look to extend him for a few more years. It would be an interesting gamble, given that Karlsson will be 37 for his next contract. However, if he maintains his production level and assumes a significantly lower salary, it might not be a bad idea.
Meanwhile, Mantha has made the most of his one-year, $2.5MM prove-it deal in Pittsburgh. After losing much of the 2024-25 season due to an ACL injury, Mantha has rebounded in a big way, scoring 26 goals and 52 points in 67 games for the Penguins.
Furthermore, as Yohe points out, Mantha is only 31, meaning he’s not necessarily old by NHL standards. It’s unlikely that the Penguins will engage in a bidding war if Mantha makes it to the open market this summer, but a four-year deal shouldn’t be out of the question given how he’s played this season.
Regardless, as much as the influx of youth has benefited Pittsburgh this season, its top five scorers are in their 30s. They’re a primary reason that the Penguins are poised for a postseason run for the first time since the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Trade Deadline Primer: Pittsburgh Penguins
With the Olympic break upon us, the trade deadline is under a month away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league at teams on the playoff bubble; next up are the Penguins.
The Penguins spent the summer collecting what appeared to be spare parts, and many expected them to be a top contender for the first overall pick in this summer’s NHL Entry Draft. That has not been the case, however, as the Penguins have defied projections and their own uneven play to find themselves not only in the hunt for a playoff spot but also in a position to earn home-ice advantage in the first round of the NHL Playoffs. It’s been a fun, feel-good story thus far, but it has certainly changed the calculus for Penguins GM Kyle Dubas as he heads into the trade deadline. What once appeared to be a surefire sell-off now feels as though it could turn into a conservative shopping spree for the Penguins.
Record
29-15-12, 2nd in the Metropolitan
Deadline Status
Conservative Buyer
Deadline Cap Space
$53.52MM on deadline day, 0/3 retention slots used, 46/50 contracts used, per PuckPedia.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2026: PIT 1st, PIT 2nd, WPG 2nd, PIT 3rd, SJ 3rd, NSH 6th
2027: PIT 1st, PIT 2nd, NYR 2nd, PIT 3rd, NJ 3rd, WPG 4th, PIT 5th, PIT 6th, PIT 7th
Trade Chips
The Penguins have no lack of trade chips heading into this deadline, which is something they haven’t been able to say all that often in recent years. Pittsburgh has built a healthy backlog of prospects and a robust stockpile of draft picks for the coming years. That said, GM Kyle Dubas has shown a willingness to pivot from the plan slightly if it makes sense to bring in young, controllable talent. In some cases, Dubas has brought in talent along with futures, but the deadline may be an opportunity for Pittsburgh to move some pieces out for a bigger piece.
So, who could Pittsburgh trade? Well, last summer’s trade chips are probably not on the table, given their playoff positioning. That list includes Bryan Rust, Erik Karlsson and Rickard Rakell, and unless Pittsburgh is blown away, it feels like all three will remain with the Penguins. In fact, it feels like most of Pittsburgh’s current NHL roster is safe for this season, because it is a tight-knit group, and it would be hard to tell the veterans that they need to subtract talent.
But what about in the minors? One potential chip is 2022 first-round pick (21st overall) Owen Pickering. The hulking defenseman hasn’t progressed as Penguins management would have hoped, but he shows signs of being an NHL defenseman, possibly even in the team’s top four. Pickering has long been viewed as a defenseman with a very high ceiling. He is mobile, has good size, and is reasonably skilled with the puck on his stick. That said, Pickering remains a project, and there is work to do on the defensive side of his game. Pittsburgh has been patient with his development, but you have to wonder if the Penguins might see him as another potential Samuel Poulin, a former first-round pick who ran out of chances and watched his trade value fall to nothing. Pittsburgh has to make a call on Pickering soon, and they could leverage him as trade bait before that decision is made.
Another prospect who has fallen out of favour this season is Ville Koivunen. The forward was a key piece in the Jake Guentzel trade two years ago and showed enough last season to have people thinking he would be part of Pittsburgh’s top six this year. He had chances this season, but his play was uninspired, and he was quickly returned to the AHL, where he has been fantastic, posting 25 points in 20 games. Koivunen has a ton of skill and hockey IQ, but he isn’t overly big or strong, nor is he fleet of foot. He will rely on his smarts to score, but there is an adjustment to the NHL game Koivunen hasn’t made yet. Given that Koivunen is probably Pittsburgh’s highest-skilled prospect, it’s hard to imagine them dumping him in a deadline move, but anything is possible.
Finally, we return to the NHL roster and the possibility of moving a player off it. While it seems unlikely that Pittsburgh makes any major changes with the big club, there is always the possibility that a team blows them away with an offer for one of their veterans. Rust, Rakell, and Karlsson aren’t likely to be moved, but a player like Noel Acciari probably wouldn’t be off limits. Acciari has formed a formidable fourth line with Blake Lizotte and Connor Dewar and is a free agent this summer. Pittsburgh isn’t likely to re-sign the 34-year-old, but Acciari has played well enough to get paid this summer. If a team made a strong enough offer, one would have to believe Pittsburgh could be persuaded to move him if it improved their long-term future.
Team Needs
A Right Shot Defenseman: It’s easy to look at the Penguins’ defensive core and think their bigger issue might be on the left side, but Pittsburgh is banged up on the right side. Kris Letang is out, as is Jack St. Ivany, and with those two hurt, the right side looks very thin. Ryan Shea has been filling in recently, but his performance has declined, and he looks uncomfortable in his current role. Right-handed defensemen are historically hard to acquire, and given that Dubas has been stockpiling assets, he probably isn’t interested in turning a bunch back to acquire a stopgap. An under-the-radar trade feels likely here rather than a big addition, but Dubas is nothing if not unpredictable, so it wouldn’t be a shock to see him look for a longer-term solution if it fits the bigger plan.
Top Nine Forward Help: The Penguins look set up front and able to roll four consistent lines. However, they lack depth beyond their top 12 forwards and struggled when several forwards were sidelined by injury in December. Pittsburgh lost 9 of 10 games during that stretch as the loss of Evgeni Malkin, Anthony Mantha, and Justin Brazeau eroded the team’s depth. Given the Penguins’ history of injuries, adding an extra top-nine forward might be a wise move to prepare for such an unfortunate series of events. The Penguins don’t need to break the bank to acquire an additional body and could certainly shop the bargain bins to add a bit of depth just in case they run into injury troubles in the final weeks of the season.
Penguins Issue Multiple Injury Updates
Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas issued a long list of injury updates in his latest GM Show. Most notably, winger Rickard Rakell remains approximately three-to-four weeks away from a hand injury sustained on October 25th. He was forced to undergo surgery for the injury and was desginated as out six-to-eight weeks at the time. He remains on track with that original designation with this update.
Forwards Justin Brazeau and Noel Acciari are seven-to-10 days from making their own returns, per Dubas. Both players are currently on injured reserve with upper-body injuries and were cleared for contact at Wednesday’s practice per Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports. Anthony Mantha (maintenance day) and Joona Koppanen (illness) missed practice.
The updates represent a long list of injuries that Pittsburgh has been forced to work around. Multiple absences at the forward position has put pressure on the Penguins’ rookies. Benjamin Kindel has taken on a carved-out role on the team’s third-line, and has been joined by wingers Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen. Pittsburgh also recalled Tristan Broz for his NHL debut last week. The shakeup hasn’t worked in the Penguins’ favor, marked by a lowly 5-5-3 record in November. But they’ve seen plenty of reason for optimism, with Kindel posting six points in 11 games to go with Pittsburgh’s list of young prospects rotating into the lineup.
Pittsburgh has managed to cling onto an Eastern Conference Wild Card spot despite their quiet month. That perserverance could pay off when they begin returning veterans to the lineup. Rakell is a top-line winger on the Penguins. He has eight points in nine games this year, and posted a career-year last season with 35 goals and 70 points, both personal-bests. His chemistry with Bryan Rust and Sidney Crosby is outstanding, and gives Pittsburgh a top-line to fear when all three are at full health.
Brazeau was another one of Pittsburgh’s hottest scorers to start the season. He managed six goals and 12 points in Pittsburgh’s first 12 games, marks that still rank him sixth on the team in scoring despite the fact that Brazeau has missed more games (13) than he’s played. He’ll face a tough task returning to that scoring – and a 27.3 shooting percentage – but should be a major addition to Pittsburgh’s middle-six. Acciari, despite his up-and-down play, should also push for third-line minutes. The two will bring size, grit, and veteran experience to the parts of Pittsburgh’s lineup that have had to lean on rookies the most.
Pittsburgh could be a few weeks away from upgrading a lineup that’s already in the playoff discussion. The Eastern Conference has proven extremely competitive this season, but a .911 save percentage in 11 games from Tristan Jarry has proven enough to platoon the Penguins’ record while they wait for their offensive firepower to get back to full health. How Pittsburgh is able to respond to a long list of injuries, and if they can maintain this pace, will become central stories as the NHL approaches 2026.
Metropolitan Notes: Mantha, Chinakhov, Martone
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.
Penguins Sign Anthony Mantha
July 2: It took a while to finalize, but a one-year deal is being finalized between the Penguins and Mantha, per Renaud Lavoie of TVA. He’ll land a $2.5MM base salary with up to $2MM in additional performance bonuses, which he’s eligible for as a veteran of at least 400 NHL games who spent at least 100 days on injured reserve in the previous season. His performance bonuses will pay out $250K for each set of 10 games he plays, per PuckPedia.
July 1: The Penguins are working on a contract for UFA winger Anthony Mantha, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports.
As expected, Pittsburgh is operating around the fringes during this free agency period. Mantha is coming off a down season with the Calgary Flames, scoring only three goals and seven points in 13 games before having his season cut short by injuring his ACL and requiring surgery.
Still, he’s only one season removed from having a quality year between the Washington Capitals and Vegas Golden Knights. During the 2023-24 campaign, Mantha scored 20 goals and 34 points in 56 games with the Capitals, before scoring another three goals and 10 points in 10 games with the Golden Knights after being moved at that season’s trade deadline.
If the Penguins promote some of their younger players to more significant roles next season, Mantha will provide stability at the lower end of their forward lineup. If players like Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen struggle with the increased ice time, Mantha will likely be allowed to play in the team’s top six.
Already 30 years old, Mantha could find far worse centers to play next to than Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. By happenstance, Mantha could have a quality rebound season next to two of the game’s most prominent players, and look to capitalize on that financially next offseason.
PHR’s Brennan McClain contributed significantly to this article.
Anthony Mantha Out For Season, Needs ACL Surgery
Flames forward Anthony Mantha‘s season is over after 13 games. The team announced he requires surgery to repair an ACL injury, which he’ll undergo on Thursday.
Mantha sustained the injury nearly a week ago, but the team had been silent about a potential timeline for his return. He suffered the ACL tear, likely a complete tear given the return timeline, after falling on his right knee following a hit from Canadiens forward Emil Heineman last Tuesday. He landed on injured reserve Thursday, at which point Flames head coach Ryan Huska said Mantha was still being evaluated.
It’s devastating for Mantha, a veteran looking to prove that last season’s resurgence was no fluke. Various injuries have plagued Mantha for much of his career, but never costing him as much time as this ACL tear will. After breaking the 20-goal plateau twice in his career early on with the Red Wings, Mantha seemed to rediscover his form last year, potting 20 goals in only 56 games with the Capitals before they were able to get a pair of draft picks from the Golden Knights at the trade deadline for his services. He finished the campaign with three goals and seven assists in 18 games for Vegas before hitting unrestricted free agency, where he landed a one-year, $3.5MM prove-it deal from the Flames.
This year, Mantha had four goals and three assists, although he also recorded a career-low 1.15 shots per game. He averaged 13:54 per game, his lowest as a full-time NHLer, and recorded eight blocks and 16 hits.
Mantha, 30, will now have plenty of time to recover before testing the UFA market again next summer. He’ll be on injured reserve for at least 100 days this season, meaning he’ll be eligible to sign a contract with performance bonuses.
Meanwhile, the Flames lose a veteran presence who they hoped would help add some punch to their depth scoring. Calgary, which has dropped to 7-5-3 following their early-season tear, are clicking at a 20th-place 2.80 goals per game, and even with Mantha not shooting the puck as much as they’d hoped, they’ll need to get more out of their young players to replace his production.
2021 first-round pick Matthew Coronato, who was assigned to the AHL for a brief period earlier this season, seems to be the one who stands to benefit most from the increased opportunity. He’s quickly heating up with five goals and an assist through 10 games, recording 18 shots on goal while averaging 14:12 per game.
Thanks to his earlier IR placement, Mantha is already off the active roster, but his $3.5MM cap hit is still in full effect. Given their $23.5MM in current space, it’s unlikely, but if the Flames need increased financial flexibility, they can move Mantha to long-term injured reserve at any time.