Why do people think Mantha is a net-front guy?

[Mlotek]

Detroit was 27th in the league with 41 PPGs. (Technically tied for 25th, but 27th sounds worse)

Which is a small improvement over the 39 the previous season.

Last time the Wings powerplay was that bad was 1981-2 (37), 1982-3 (43).

 

[Mlotek]

BTW, Frk would be 3rd since you are probably missing Tatar.

Nielsen had 4 compared to Frk's 5 with 50% less PP time.

 

[dragonballgtz]

Ok...on the power play he's still going to the front of the net. Not using your 6'5, 220 pound winger to screen the goalie is the definition of stupid.

So Ovechkin has been doing it wrong all this time then?

I'm not saying Mantha has as good of a shot as Ovie but Mantha is by far the best sniper we have currently on the team. Let our best shooter, shoot the puck!

 

[KJoe88]

Mantha is a net front guy, but he’s also a sniper that can score from anywhere. His shot is lethal and beautiful. I don’t remember which game it was against (I think the Devils) where he sniped a shot so accurate anyone barely knew it was in except for him. Top right corner.

He’s our purest scorer (even more so than Zadina imo). He’s not just a net front guy as I said, he’s an ‘a lot of things guy’.

Always said that he’s going to be a gem (I believe we got lucky he fell). He’ll be a 40G guy in his prime - He’ll be elite as long as he doesn’t take shifts off.

 

[Lampedampe]

I fully acknowledge that he's a great net front guy, but I'd really like to see what he can do while playing in a slot position. He's got a fast and accurate release and he can easily create space for himself. I didn't watch enough games last season, but he was always net front right?

I don't really agree with the notion that he should be on the wing, can't see him utilizing his big body there. In the slot he can utilize just about every aspect of his game. I believe the main reason he's been net front is because he's been the best option, with Ras coming in he may not be needed there anymore.

 

[JoesuffP]

Blashill alluded to Mantha’s net front status in an interview posted earlier saying he’ll pick up easy goals camped out in front but he’s free to play his game. Management and Mantha believe 30 goals should be his norm going forward one way or another

If Mantha is more likely to score 30 screening the goalie or sniping from outside it’s something he’ll realize as he establishes himself

 

[Mlotek]

Shove Ericsson in front of the net. He's deflected more pucks into his own net over the years than most Red Wing forwards have in their career.

Look at this brilliant no look deflection. Guys like Holmstrom and Ciccarelli actually had to look at the puck, this guy is so good he uses the force.

 

[njx9]

Ok...on the power play he's still going to the front of the net. Not using your 6'5, 220 pound winger to screen the goalie is the definition of stupid.

Clearly Patrik Laine is poorly used in Winnipeg.. If only they knew how to put guys into positions based on nothing other than measurables.

Brilliant.

 

[raymond23]

Ok...on the power play he's still going to the front of the net. Not using your 6'5, 220 pound winger to screen the goalie is the definition of stupid.

Your tone is really off-putting. Definition of stupid? C'mon man.

As some have mentioned I could live with him as the net-front player if it were more of a hybrid role, where he's releasing to the side of the net and such.

 

[Wingsfan 4 life]

Why? Because he has size AND skill, which is not a very common combination amongst our rostered forwards, and especially amongst the guys he'll be playing alongside on a regular basis.

 

[newfy]

I kind of view Mantha like Franzen or Todd Bertuzzi. Big skilled guys who can create alot of havoc around the net with the size and skills they have for their size but they are capable of playing more expanded roles then a "NET only" guy/scorer. He's got a great shot, hands, and pretty good skating for someone as big as him. I think he's firmily solidified himself at this point as our top RW, and for most teams a top two right winger. Zadina has a shot to be better than him if he plays on the right wing but Mantha should be a guy Wings fans latch onto like Larkin... if we havent already.

Yeah this isnt a one or the other type thing. Mantha is the wings best goal scorer, and 9 times out of 10, good goal scorers score in tight to the net. Mantha has size that makes him hard to move and reach that makes it easier for him to score there. But he can skate, dangle and shoot really well too. He only plays net front because no one comes close to his ability at it on this team right now (Rasmussen culd change that) while some other guys come closer to his play making/shooting from the perimeter.

A guy like Nyquist can play the half wall serviceably on a PP. He can shoot and pass from out there well enough. Would Mantha be better, I definitely think so. But the other option is play Nyquist in front of the net (never going to happen) or play a guy like Abby net front and Mantha on the wall. Thats an overall loss of bility on the PP so Mantha gets stuck net front

 

[TatarTangle]

Because you can't teach size, skill, and most importantly, reach. Being able to deflect a puck in the net that is going 5 feet wide is pretty cool.

 

[TatarTangle]

Clearly Patrik Laine is poorly used in Winnipeg.. If only they knew how to put guys into positions based on nothing other than measurables.

Brilliant.

Anthony Mantha has, in no way, shape, or form the release Laine does. Eyeroll.

And to add, he [Mantha] isn't even remotely in the same strata as Laine

 

[raymond23]

Anthony Mantha has, in no way, shape, or form the release Laine does. Eyeroll.

And to add, he [Mantha] isn't even remotely in the same strata as Laine

Context there... It was a rebuttal about Mantha being net-front purely because he's a big winger.

 

[Hammettf2b]

So Ovechkin has been doing it wrong all this time then?

I'm not saying Mantha has as good of a shot as Ovie but Mantha is by far the best sniper we have currently on the team. Let our best shooter, shoot the puck!

He's also our best net front guy. Until someone can take his spot (hopefully Ras) I don't blame Blash for putting him in that position at all.

 

[njx9]

Anthony Mantha has, in no way, shape, or form the release Laine does. Eyeroll.

And to add, he [Mantha] isn't even remotely in the same strata as Laine

*shrug* The guy I responded to seems to think that big=net-front. Complain to him if you think that argument lacks nuance.

 

[TatarTangle]

Context there... It was a rebuttal about Mantha being net-front purely because he's a big winger.

With the implication of Mantha being like Laine if he [Mantha] wasn't "misused"

At the end of the day Mantha is arguably the most effective in front if the net on the PP because of his combination of size, hands, and reach. Not to sound like a richard but has anyone either a) played in the crease and tried to see through a guy that's 6'4" and 230 pounds or b) tried to move a guy that size?

 

[ArGarBarGar]

What makes him more effective than Abdelkader or potentially Ericsson or Bertuzzi?

He is a big body and is good in tight with the puck, yes. But I don't watch him at that position and see him as being so good in front that it offsets losing his shot.

 

[Henkka]

What makes him more effective than Abdelkader or potentially Ericsson or Bertuzzi?

He is a big body and is good in tight with the puck, yes. But I don't watch him at that position and see him as being so good in front that it offsets losing his shot.

Yeah... and when Rasmussen joins, Mantha will become more temporarily guy on net. We will have enough guys to go net-front, like Rasmussen, Bertuzzi, Abdelkader, Vanek, Givani Smith.

In the future, Mantha will be a skill player. These net-front duties are just a learning process to become a more complete player. Not just finesse skill-guy, who doesn't use his body.

 

[Mlotek]

Because you can't teach size, skill, and most importantly, reach. Being able to deflect a puck in the net that is going 5 feet wide is pretty cool.

Skill can definitely be taught.

Size is overrated, keep in mind Holmstrom was only 6' tall.

 

[ArGarBarGar]

Yeah... and when Rasmussen joins, Mantha will become more temporarily guy on net. We will have enough guys to go net-front, like Rasmussen, Bertuzzi, Abdelkader, Vanek, Givani Smith.

In the future, Mantha will be a skill player. These net-front duties are just a learning process to become a more complete player. Not just finesse skill-guy, who doesn't use his body.

That doesn't make him a net front guy.

 

[jkutswings]

At his best, Mantha can do both, and SHOULD do both, darting in and out of the slot with a very good shot, as well as wreaking havoc in front of the net.

As others have said, it's (in theory) more about a lack of others to fill the net front responsibility than the fact that Mantha can't be very good in more than one role.

Hopefully the players Detroit has been drafting recently will make this problem a thing of the past.

 

[FireBird71]

Frk shouldn't be on the PP with his inaccuracies, lord help us if he's the best option again this year.

As for Mantha, I don't think Blashill is creative enough to move him around, so Mantha will stay pigeon holed for a while. Lucky for us he's pretty good in front of the net.

Still think Frk gets waived

 

[Winger98]

At his best, Mantha can do both, and SHOULD do both, darting in and out of the slot with a very good shot, as well as wreaking havoc in front of the net.

As others have said, it's (in theory) more about a lack of others to fill the net front responsibility than the fact that Mantha can't be very good in more than one role.

Hopefully the players Detroit has been drafting recently will make this problem a thing of the past.

The Wings look to be a really big team in the near future. Svech is a big kid. Rasmussen's huge. Zadina's not small. Mantha. AA isn't a small guy. Then some guys who will hopefully be a solid bottom6 forward at some point like Smith, Pope, Turgeon, and Ehn aren't small, either. This is going to be a team that's going to be really difficult to handle down low and along the boards.

 

[njx9]

With the implication of Mantha being like Laine if he [Mantha] wasn't "misused"

That wasn't even *slightly* the implication. Why be dishonest? Is it that hard to respond to what was actually said, instead of wildly inventing things you wish people said to argue against? What a joke of a post.