Player Talk: Anthony Mantha

Bench

3 is a good start
Aug 14, 2011
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I think this kid needs his own fresh thread. He's lighting it up right now and is a bright spot on an otherwise uninspired team. 13 points (7 goals) in 21 games this season with a +9. But lately, he's really on fire, with 7 points in his last 5 games.

Dotter posed a question in another thread:

But where would you all consider Mantha would be picked in a re-draft knowing what we know now?

And I think that's a great question. Mantha went at #20 in the draft in 2013. Some players on that list are still developing, like Mantha, but I think it's fair to say he'd probably closer to top 10 these days. Obviously a #10 pick like Nichushkin slides significantly, whereas someone like Max Domi moves up like Mantha.

Link to the draft order for anyone who wants to play at home: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_NHL_Entry_Draft
 

Syckle78

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Nov 5, 2011
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Somewhere between 10-15. There's a good bit of players in front of him that have either produced in the NHL or have on par or better ceilings that play center or defense.
 

Wood Stick

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Dec 25, 2015
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Anthony Mantha was as high as 10 or so around his last junior season, and then recently was considered a bust - went lower than usual. His development has seriously been A+ from Detroit's management despite the hate they get.

2013 was a really deep draft. I'll take a shot.

1. Rasmus Ristolainen
2. Nathan MacKinnon
3. Aleksander Barkov
4. Seth Jones
5. Sean Monahan
6. Max Domi
7. Jonathan Drouin
8. Bo Horvat
9. Anthony Mantha
10. Alexander Wennberg
 

HisNoodliness

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Jun 29, 2014
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I'd say 10-15. Where exactly in there is pretty debatable but Mantha has certainly assuaged many of the fears people had about him on draft day. He's still not going to beat out many of the top ten picks and there are a couple of risers who deserve to move into that area.
 

Bench

3 is a good start
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His development has seriously been A+ from Detroit's management despite the hate they get.

I don't see the point of the snarky comments they made to the media about him. If that's how you feel, you sit him down 1 on 1, not in the papers. Be professional. Holland usually is very professional, but he let down his guard on that one. Being candid is nice, but saying he did nothing in the AHL and wasn't a "difference maker" really didn't need to be aired pubically.

Ironically, it would take less than a year for Mantha to be an actual NHL difference maker. Did he develop SO MUCH over the summer, or maybe, just maybe, the kid could have helped in the playoffs last spring?

Remember, they were defending rolling out Andersson instead of him. Ugh.

2013 was a really deep draft. I'll take a shot.

1. Rasmus Ristolainen
2. Nathan MacKinnon
3. Aleksander Barkov
4. Seth Jones
5. Sean Monahan
6. Max Domi
7. Jonathan Drouin
8. Bo Horvat
9. Anthony Mantha
10. Alexander Wennberg

As good as any list. Lots of wiggle room because some of these guys are just hitting their stride. Particularly the defenders.
 

Syckle78

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Nov 5, 2011
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No chance he's going before wennberg. If he's jumping any center ahead of him it's horvat and I'm not even sure about that.
 

Frk It

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Jul 27, 2010
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Regarding a 13 re-draft

I'd have above him still: Mackinnon, Barkov, Drouin, Jones, Monahan, Ristolainen, Domi, Wennberg

So probably somewhere in the 9-15 range.
 
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Wood Stick

Registered User
Dec 25, 2015
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I don't see the point of the snarky comments they made to the media about him. If that's how you feel, you sit him down 1 on 1, not in the papers. Be professional. Holland usually is very professional, but he let down his guard on that one. Being candid is nice, but saying he did nothing in the AHL and wasn't a "difference maker" really didn't need to be aired pubically.

Ironically, it would take less than a year for Mantha to be an actual NHL difference maker. Did he develop SO MUCH over the summer, or maybe, just maybe, the kid could have helped in the playoffs last spring?

Remember, they were defending rolling out Andersson instead of him. Ugh.



As good as any list. Lots of wiggle room because some of these guys are just hitting their stride. Particularly the defenders.

I actually forgot all about those comments for a second. I just meant after his leg break, they had in Grand Rapids, he was scratched at times and he had to earn his minutes. He's played with a lot of skill down there, and kept developing.

Playing for Jeff Blashill and Todd Nelson has got to help out. Both of those guys in the AHL were lights out. From the start of the GR Calder winning team they've pumped out so much talent throughout the league. Even outside of Detroit you have Calle Jarnkrok, Mattias Janmark, and Andrej Nestrasil who shouldn't have made it.

No chance he's going before wennberg. If he's jumping any center ahead of him it's horvat and I'm not even sure about that.

Fair enough. I think Mantha pans out to be better. Wennberg is having an insane year though, so I'll give you that. I have not watched a single hockey game that's not the Wings for the first time in my life really. I haven't watched Columbus.
 

Dotter

THE ATHLETIC IS GARBAGE
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He and Zetterberg have great chemistry together. If he plays with lesser talent, say Neilson, will his points significantly drop? Is he a product of Zetterberg?
 

obey86

Registered User
Jun 9, 2009
8,013
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I don't see the point of the snarky comments they made to the media about him. If that's how you feel, you sit him down 1 on 1, not in the papers. Be professional. Holland usually is very professional, but he let down his guard on that one. Being candid is nice, but saying he did nothing in the AHL and wasn't a "difference maker" really didn't need to be aired pubically.

Ironically, it would take less than a year for Mantha to be an actual NHL difference maker. Did he develop SO MUCH over the summer, or maybe, just maybe, the kid could have helped in the playoffs last spring?

Remember, they were defending rolling out Andersson instead of him. Ugh.



As good as any list. Lots of wiggle room because some of these guys are just hitting their stride. Particularly the defenders.

haha, i totally forgot that joakim andersson played in the playoffs last season.
 

HisNoodliness

The Karate Kid and ASP Kai
Jun 29, 2014
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He and Zetterberg have great chemistry together. If he plays with lesser talent, say Neilson, will his points significantly drop? Is he a product of Zetterberg?

I think his points would drop significantly but I don't think he's a product of Z. I think Mantha is carrying at least his fair share of the load on that line. Still it's impossible to argue that Z isn't still this team's best center and anyone playing with him is going to produce better. I also think Mantha is a guy who thrives with other skill players. He has great vision and feeds off of other people doing good things. Z is the only guy on this team who is consistently doing those things. So IMO Mantha's production is completely earned and he'd continue to earn it if placed with lesser linemates but he would definitely see a drop in production.
 

WFIAA

Registered User
Aug 2, 2016
171
13
Mantha seems to be doing a lot of the little things on the ice better. Really I think he just needed time with the club to get better, there was no advantage in not keeping him up last year.
 
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Wingsfan 4 life

Registered User
Oct 9, 2016
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Honestly, I'd only spot him 4 draft spots without thinking twice. I'd take him over Nuke, Lazar, Mueller and Rychel easily.

Other than that, I'd be hard pressed picking him over guys like Morin, Zadorov and Puluck to crack the top 15, knowing how crap our D is and likely will be for a while. Not to mention Theodore.
 

Bench

3 is a good start
Aug 14, 2011
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haha, i totally forgot that joakim andersson played in the playoffs last season.

In other Mantha trivia, it was Mickey's off-hand comment about playing with Mantha potentially being enough of a lure to keep Datsyuk around one more season. This was the first news that broke regarding Datsyuk leaving a year early. Mickey has always been high on the kid, based on that type of commentary.
 

Fear

Registered User
Nov 17, 2014
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About the same, Mantha is 22, there's nothing all that amazing about whats he's done so far.
 

Dotter

THE ATHLETIC IS GARBAGE
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About the same, Mantha is 22, there's nothing all that amazing about whats he's done so far.

Sample size, but he scored 7 points in 5 games and not from deflections off his ass. But by good offensive skills. All the while being picked 20th overall.

In Drouin's first full NHL season he only had 4 goals and 28 assists. I remember all old Drouin vs Mantha threads on the prospects board back in the day. It's nice to see Mantha living up to the hype.
 

Pavels Dog

Registered User
Feb 18, 2013
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Around 10 in a re-draft. There are some guys I'd easily take him above, and basically no one behind him that I'd jump up that far at this point. I also think Mantha can continue to rise in the rankings.

He and Zetterberg have great chemistry together. If he plays with lesser talent, say Neilson, will his points significantly drop? Is he a product of Zetterberg?
More likely Z's points drop a bit and Nielsen increase, while Mantha's stay roughly the same. All the stats and viewings indicate that Mantha has been a catalyst to the top line, and his goals/points have mostly been the effect of his good play and not living off Z. Mantha playing with guys that were less snakebit than Z/Tats would have more assists.
 

gretskidoo

Registered User
Nov 26, 2011
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Fair enough. I think Mantha pans out to be better. Wennberg is having an insane year though, so I'll give you that. I have not watched a single hockey game that's not the Wings for the first time in my life really. I haven't watched Columbus.

Wennberg looks like Backstrom out there this year. No way you can have Mantha ahead of him yet.
 

Dotter

THE ATHLETIC IS GARBAGE
Jul 2, 2014
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Anthony Mantha was as high as 10 or so around his last junior season, and then recently was considered a bust - went lower than usual. His development has seriously been A+ from Detroit's management despite the hate they get.

2013 was a really deep draft. I'll take a shot.

1. Rasmus Ristolainen
2. Nathan MacKinnon
3. Aleksander Barkov
4. Seth Jones
5. Sean Monahan
6. Max Domi

7. Jonathan Drouin
8. Bo Horvat
9. Anthony Mantha
10. Alexander Wennberg

I haven't watched the bolded guys much. It's hard to say with such a small sample size on Mantha, but would you really consider them above Mantha?

Is is it because of position?
 

BinCookin

Registered User
Feb 15, 2012
6,160
1,377
London, ON
I think this kid needs his own fresh thread. He's lighting it up right now and is a bright spot on an otherwise uninspired team. 13 points (7 goals) in 21 games this season with a +9. But lately, he's really on fire, with 7 points in his last 5 games.

Dotter posed a question in another thread:



And I think that's a great question. Mantha went at #20 in the draft in 2013. Some players on that list are still developing, like Mantha, but I think it's fair to say he'd probably closer to top 10 these days. Obviously a #10 pick like Nichushkin slides significantly, whereas someone like Max Domi moves up like Mantha.

Link to the draft order for anyone who wants to play at home: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_NHL_Entry_Draft



My ReDraft:

1) Ristolainen
2) Barkov
3) MacKinnon
4) Monahan
5) S. Jones
6) Drouin
7) Wennberg
8) Domi
9) E. Lindholm
10) D. Nurse
11) Horvat
12) Theodore
13) Mantha

I have him 13th
 

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