Devils Add Needed Scoring Punch With Mantha
The veteran winger helps address arguably the team's biggest weakness at an affordable price.
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The New Jersey Devils made it clear they wanted to add another impactful forward when they tendered an offer sheet to Barrett Hayton on the opening day of free agency.
They were finally able to land one this morning, signing Anthony Mantha to a two-year deal worth $4.75 million per season – almost the exact same AAV as they threw at Hayton.
Mantha is a mobile offensive winger coming off the most productive season of his career.
He set new highs in goals (33) and points (64) while splitting time on lines centered by Evgeni Malkin and Ben Kindel.
I don’t know that I would expect those outputs moving forward but he’ll provide the offense a healthy shot in the arm, nonetheless.
Mantha has averaged 25 goals and 51 points per 82 games throughout his career, and we’ve yet to see any dip as he begins the back nine.
Mantha is a consistently strong play-driver. He has played more than 10 games in 10 consecutive seasons and only once posted a lower xGF% than his team did without him.
That was last season, and the difference was -1.23% – hardly an alarming output.
The Devils can be comfortable playing Mantha anywhere in the top-9 without concerns that he’ll sink the line or be a negative when the goals dry up for a stretch (Mantha is streaky).
Make no mistake, though. His bread and butter is putting the puck in the net.
