Number of years: “Anthony Mantha will likely lower his demands”

Félix Forget
Number of years: “Anthony Mantha will likely lower his demands”
Credit: Capture d'écran/Twitter

Anthony Mantha is currently the name everyone is watching on the free-agent market. Coming off a season in which he scored 33 goals and tallied 64 points, the Quebec native is still without a contract as of mid-July.

The reason? It seems teams are reluctant to sign him to a long-term deal.

We know that the Canadiens, at least, are in that position. The club is reportedly interested in Mantha (who would fill a need on the second line), but isn't ready to sign him to a long-term deal.

But according to David Pagnotta, a window of opportunity could open up soon for Kent Hughes: during an appearance on “Leafs Morning Take,” he mentioned that we should expect Anthony Mantha to lower his demands regarding the number of years on his next contract.

This opens the door to a shorter-term contract… and that might be exactly what the Habs are waiting for.

We know that the Habs—who have previously shown interest in Matthew Knies, among others—are looking for big, physical players with an offensive touch. And Mantha, in fact, checks both those boxes.

Is he the long-term solution the Habs have been looking for for months? He wouldn't hurt in the short term… but the club probably doesn't want to commit long-term to a player who will turn 32 in September.

One might also wonder if Mantha's playoff performance is costing him right now. The Quebec native has recorded just one point (an assist) in six games, racking up some ugly penalties to boot.

But even as an imperfect solution, the Habs (just like many other teams, it should be noted) can hardly afford to turn their noses up at a player like this. The team is struggling to find the top-6 forward they're looking for—to the point of frustration—and Mantha could help fill that role right away.

It remains to be seen whether Mantha will be willing to lower his demands enough to make him an attractive option for the Canadiens right now.


In a Nutshell

– Interesting.

– Indeed.

– Worth reading.

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