The Calgary Flames were rumoured to be an active team in free agency, and have made a splash early in the day. The Flames have signed 29-year-old forward Anthony Mantha to a one-year deal carrying a $3.5M AAV. Mantha is a left-shot right-winger, 6’5″ and 234 lbs.
Filling out the roster
With a ton of cap space and roster spots to fill out, the Flames are taking a bet on a former 50 goal OHL scorer in Mantha. He was traded from the Washington Capitals to the Vegas Golden Knights last season, finishing the year with a total of 23 goals, 21 assists, and 44 points in 74 games. He averaged just over 14 minutes a night and should be a middle-six option for the Flames.
Mantha has been an interesting player over the course of his career. He has often been criticized for a lack of work ethic but a very nice set of tools. He has a tendency to get scratched in important moments, but it’s not clear whether that is coincidental or due to a trust issue between him and his coaches in the past.
For his entire career, Mantha has put up absolutely incredible underlying numbers and always seems to drive play in a positive direction. When Mantha is on the ice, his team tends to always preform better than his opponent.
Analytically, he compares well to Blake Coleman, who has been a fantastic player for the Flames over the past three years.
Stay tuned for more on Mantha in the coming days.
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