Anthony Mantha: The Habs may have avoided another Patrik Laine-type situation

Marc-Olivier Cook
Anthony Mantha: The Habs may have avoided another Patrik Laine-type situation
Credit: Capture d'écran/Twitter

Anthony Mantha has signed a two-year contract with the New Jersey Devils.

In Montreal, there was talk that he was a player who might have interested the Canadiens. Kent Hughes wanted to add a top-6 winger to his lineup, and Mantha—coming off a strong season—has the skills to fill that role.

But…

But the idea also came with certain risks because Mantha has been injured several times in recent years. He seems to be prone to injuries, and the Habs didn't want to overpay for a player like that.

That said, the Patrik Laine situation may have played a role in this as well.

Eric Engels summed it up well in a recent episode of the Sick Podcast: the Habs probably didn't want to add a player who raises so many questions. 

We've all seen that Laine's time in Montreal wasn't exactly stellar.

The guy got injured (it wasn't necessarily his fault), but the whole situation became problematic at a certain point. There was no longer a place for the Finn, even if he were healthy, and given Anthony Mantha's injury history, a scenario like Laine's could have played out again.

And even then, it could have created some distraction off the ice. And maybe the Canadiens didn't want to find themselves in another situation like that… especially given that we know the player wasn't exactly thrilled about coming to play in Montreal.

Good for Mantha, because he's found a new team with a solid salary ($4.5 million per season), even though he would have liked more years on his contract.

But it's also good news for the Canadiens, who may have helped their own cause by deciding not to be too aggressive in their pursuit of the Quebec native.

Now, the big winger has to prove he can stay healthy and have another big season… And that's no sure thing either.


In a nutshell

– I like it, personally.

– Wow.

– It's coming!

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