GDT: 2021 Trade Deadline (AROUND THE LEAGUE / Non-Penguins)

[Gurglesons]

Larkin - driver
Mantha - finisher

Much like Neal, Mantha is able to separate himself from the play to bury the puck.

Mantha looks like prime Rick Nash when he is on.

 

[Darren McCord]

I read somewhere that he was unhappy with his role, or something like that. Him and Mantha are about the same value wise, but Mantha could be a better fit for them... if he's ready to play.



I'm sure Panik - a cap dump - was part of it, but still... Anyways, good job by Yzerman to move ahead in the rebuild. Pure speculation, but I expect he'll turn Vrana into more assets at some point.

i expect Vrana to fetch them another first next year or the one after

 

[Gurglesons]

Mantha is a finished project as well and turns 27 before next season. Sure he is in just prime but he still hasn’t broke 50pts. Sure I bet he has a career year next year but it’s pretty much 2 first for mantha and a 2nd to take panik. That’s a lot for mantha.

The point was comparing Erat / Forsberg to this deal.

 

[BHD]

Mantha looks like prime Rick Nash when he is on.

He's a fine player to have, but not even close. You're right, he does play a power forward game when he's on. However, that's not often enough. Most of the time, he simply relies on his ability to score from in tight.

If he played like a prime Rick Nash, then he'd be scoring way more goals.

 

[Darren McCord]

Mantha looks like prime Rick Nash when he is on.

that may be true in spurts but he is no where close to prime Nash. Nash was a beast and legit star in the league

 

[Gurglesons]

that may be true in spurts but he is no where close to prime Nash. Nash was a beast and legit star in the league

Okay. But he isn’t being asked to be that in Washington. He’s being asked to be there like 4th best forward.

 

[Darren McCord]

Okay. But he isn’t being asked to be that in Washington. He’s being asked to be there like 4th best forward.

I’m not saying he is. I am just saying he’s more Neal or than Nash. Which is fine for being the 4th best forward on a team.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I still really like Mantha and think he's prime for a breakout now that he's out of Detroit. Really wish he didn't land in Washington.

No way we could've paid close to that to land him though. That's a crazy haul for Detroit. A good bit more than I expected.

 

[Gurglesons]

I’m not saying he is. I am just saying he’s more Neal or than Nash. Which is fine for being the 4th best forward on a team.

He’s nothing like Neal. He’s not a perimeter player.

He also uses his size to protect the puck.

 

[Darren McCord]

He’s nothing like Neal. He’s not a perimeter player.

He also uses his size to protect the puck.

i meant in terms of being a complimentary guy instead of a main driver.

 

[Turin]

I agree with the Neal comparison. It’s not a slight to Mantha, James Neal was pretty good in his prime. He also had decent two way metrics despite us knowing that he played a lazy game. Same deal with Mantha. I’d say he’s overall more skilled than Neal but his shot isn’t as ridiculous.

 

[Gurglesons]

i meant in terms of being a complimentary guy instead of a main driver.

Meh. I think you guys are really underrating what Mantha is when he is on.

I was simply watching Detroit last season because of him last year.

 

[Turin]

James Neal looked amazing when he was “on” too. Remember when he was the same age as Mantha and scoring over a point per game and looking engaged trying to make the Olympic team? Didn’t last.

 

[Gurglesons]

James Neal looked amazing when he was “on” too. Remember when he was the same age as Mantha and scoring over a point per game and looking engaged trying to make the Olympic team? Didn’t last.

I remember when Neal had prime Brad Richards or Evgeni Malkin every day of the week.

And yes Larkin is good.

 

[Darren McCord]

Meh. I think you guys are really underrating what Mantha is when he is on.

I was simply watching Detroit last season because of him last year.

Don’t get me wrong I think mantha is good and might end up better than vrana for the caps. But I don’t think he is a first better.

It sucks he ended up with the caps but vrana is damn good player too that they lost. I could see vrana breaking out next year to given more time and an expanded role

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Yeah, Mantha's got question marks for sure (lazy/takes shifts off, doesn't use his size consistently enough for a guy with his frame) but he's got great wheels and an awesome shot. He's due to breakout, imo. Still wouldn't have paid was Washington paid though.

 

[CrosbyMalkin]

Washington is slow as f*** now IMO. And their D and goaltending are their weakest links. They better hope they can keep teams pinned in their own end.

If I were the the Pens, I'd trap it up and have our guys beat theirs to loose pucks and just lob passes out of the zone to skate into.

I agree that the Caps already had been a big, old, and slow team. Now they take one of their faster players and replace him with a big slower player that really hasn't produced as well as the player they gave up over these last couple season's. They already had trouble with the Pens speed before.

 

[Gurglesons]

Don’t get me wrong I think mantha is good and might end up better than vrana for the caps. But I don’t think he is a first better.

It sucks he ended up with the caps but vrana is damn good player too that they lost. I could see vrana breaking out next year to given more time and an expanded role

Vrana isn’t cost controlled. And Mantha is on a steal of a deal if he plays at a 30G 30A pace if healthy which is what he paces for.

 

[CrosbyMalkin]

Except Vrana is basically a finished project and Mantha is only 26. But sure.

You do realize that Vrana is a year and a half younger than Mantha? Mantha will be 27 before the start of next season and Vrana will still be 25 even at the midway point next year. So what the heck are you getting at?

 

[BHD]

I would be OK with Mantha if I were a Caps fan. He'll put up top six numbers for them as long as he holds onto a spot under Laviolette.

The cost, though, really bothers me. They gave up a Kessel/Nash type of package for a player who's never hit 30 - AHL or NHL.

 

[Darren McCord]

Vrana isn’t cost controlled. And Mantha is on a steal of a deal if he plays at a 30G 30A pace if healthy which is what he paces for.

and if vrana signs for 5.5 - 6 x 5 and puts up 30 and 30 which is what he pretty much did last year is that a steal?

vrana also averages like 4 min less iceteam in his career.

 

[Gurglesons]

You do realize that Vrana is a year and a half younger than Mantha? Mantha will be 27 before the start of next season and Vrana will still be 25 even at the midway point next year. So what the heck are you getting at?

I was referring to someone comparing it to Erat for Forsberg.

 

[Gurglesons]

and if vrana signs for 5.5 - 6 x 5 and puts up 30 and 30 which is what he pretty much did last year is that a steal?

vrana also averages like 4 min less iceteam in his career.

I’ll trust Trotz and Lavi’s assessment of Vrana tbh.

Granted Mantha hasn’t been a coach’s heartthrob either.

 

[BHD]

Anyways, Yzerman must have watched Shero's Master Class series on how to pull off trades.

 

[CrosbyMalkin]

Mantha is a finished project as well and turns 27 before next season. Sure he is in just prime but he still hasn’t broke 50pts. Sure I bet he has a career year next year but it’s pretty much 2 first for mantha and a 2nd to take panik. That’s a lot for mantha.

I agree about it being a big overpayment. Vrana has actually had the better PPG for the past two years and is a year and half younger. Adding a 1st and 2nd to get him seems a big overpayment when I don't even know if it makes them better.

Vrana and Panik vs Mantha and Raffl

Is that really an upgrade?

Rather have Carter without losing a roster player and mid round picks used. Carter has 19 points in 40 games playing on a bad team and bad linemates. Mantha has 21 points in 42 games playing on a bad team with better linemates than Carter had. Sure he is better but with the subtraction of Vrana? Think the Pens got better with Carter taking someone like Erod if playing RW or Gaudreau/Jankowski if playing center. That is a bigger upgrade than Mantha and Raffl for Vrana and Panik and at a much cheaper price.