Red Wings: Anthony Mantha extension will bring same output in 2020-21
By Tyler Kotila
The Detroit Red Wings need to extend/re-sign Anthony Mantha to ensure he remains a vital part of this organization.
While sixteen teams continue to face off for the Stanley Cup, the Detroit Red Wings are plotting out their offseason, and the biggest thing on that list internally needs to be Anthony Mantha. Currently, Mantha is a restricted free agent who is eligible for arbitration.
He may have only played in 43 games during the 2019-20 season, but he still made quite an impact on the scoresheet. An injury against the Toronto Maple Leafs took more games away from the winger as well, which kept him out of some of the Red Wings contests along the way.
The priority needs to be bringing Mantha back, long-term, on whatever deal that General Manager (GM) Steve Yzerman can negotiate with the forward. Mantha is 25 years old now, coming into his sixth year with the Red Wings organization, and he is an integral part of the offensive core.
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Mantha plays such a vital role in the health of the Red Wings forwards, especially the top line when played alongside Dylan Larkin and Tyler Bertuzzi.
Now, Bertuzzi is also an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent, but they both are crucial to that top line’s success when they are put together.
Either way, Mantha’s 43 games played where he scored 16 goals, adding 22 assists for 38 total points.
He would finish third in scoring amongst Red Wings forwards as well as all other Red Wings players.
In terms of advanced statistics, Mantha’s 43 games may not be as much as others, but he posted a 10.1% CF Relative (CF Re), which means his Corsi For (CF) rating was 10.1% higher than the team’s average.
On top of this, it was the highest amongst the whole team, with a 54.2 CF% on the season. This, of course, leaves out Evgeni Svechnikov’s 55.6 CF%, which was higher; however, he only played in four games, which may be why he only received a one-year deal on a “prove-it” contract for 2020-21.
Mantha, on the other hand, has shown that he will put up points and be a productive scorer on a team that struggled profusely in 2019-20. The Red Wings were horrifically bad in 2019-20, but Mantha’s 43 games played still saw him contribute almost at least a point per night while the team fought through the struggles.
If the Red Wings opt not to get Mantha under a long-term contract this offseason, they are making a huge mistake, one that will mess with the entirety of the rebuild. But, Yzerman and his Yzer-plan are much wiser than that.
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The Detroit Red Wings are in good hands, and Anthony Mantha will remain in the winged wheel uniform for a long time if things go as they should within the organization this offseason.