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LW Anthony Mantha - Val d'Or, QMJHL (2013, 20th overall, Detroit)

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DJOpus said:
This is really true.

The guy is constantly in the wrong place but gets the puck and puts it in the net. It's almost like he's not worried about giving up chances against and as a result he finds space to score...I think in the NHL that strategy would cost him in terms of odd man rushes and chances against which other players will be able to capitalize on.

His game is the exact opposite of someone like Bo Hovat's.
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What chances has he given up at all in the WJC? People keep talking like hes completely killing the team with his defense but I cant think of one play hes made that led to any issues. People hear it before the tourney and as soon as they notice it during a game they say oh ya there it is. Hes done nothing to say hes played worse defensively than Petan, McDavid, Drouin or even Hudon.

Name one goal where he was out of position that could have hurt the team? None of his goals against Germany, not his goal where hes infront of the opposition net and not during any of his assists.
 
newfy said:
What chances has he given up at all in the WJC? People keep talking like hes completely killing the team with his defense but I cant think of one play hes made that led to any issues. People hear it before the tourney and as soon as they notice it during a game they say oh ya there it is. Hes done nothing to say hes played worse defensively than Petan, McDavid, Drouin or even Hudon.

Name one goal where he was out of position that could have hurt the team? None of his goals against Germany, not his goal where hes infront of the opposition net and not during any of his assists.
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He's had some turnovers but so has just about every other player in the tourney, some people will look for any reason they can to discredit him, he has his flaws but he is not the huge defensive liability some people make him out to be. His defensive game isn't going to be the thing to stop him from making the NHL, if he can find a way to score at the next level than that's all that will matter.

DJOpus is just full of it, always in the wrong place? so silly.
 
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If you don't think this guy needs a lot of work to his committment defensively to play in the NHL regularly you are kidding yourself. We will see if he has it in him. Nobody's asking him to be Patrice Bergeron out there but he should be watching tape of Jeff Carter to see a big guy who doesn't play a prototypically "physical" game and see how he can affect a game for 200 feet.
 
newfy said:
What chances has he given up at all in the WJC? People keep talking like hes completely killing the team with his defense but I cant think of one play hes made that led to any issues. People hear it before the tourney and as soon as they notice it during a game they say oh ya there it is. Hes done nothing to say hes played worse defensively than Petan, McDavid, Drouin or even Hudon.

Name one goal where he was out of position that could have hurt the team? None of his goals against Germany, not his goal where hes infront of the opposition net and not during any of his assists.
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I don't think he's been terrible defensively, but I think he's been a bit risky with his play and positioning. I mean, I guess that's a part of the confidence factor, if he thinks he can pull it off, he'll go for it. I don't know that it's directly lead to an opposing goal thus far, but it's the plays on which he makes you hold your breath and say "please don't turn it over right here" that show his youth. These can all be ironed out of course, Detroit is a great place for him.
 
mindfly said:
I'm not too sure I would trade Mantha for Wennberg right now...too much hidden potential with Mantha.
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This.

Wennberg is great, but Mantha has a chance to be something special and something Detroit needs badly.
 
oilsp1ll said:
If you don't think this guy needs a lot of work to his committment defensively to play in the NHL regularly you are kidding yourself. We will see if he has it in him. Nobody's asking him to be Patrice Bergeron out there but he should be watching tape of Jeff Carter to see a big guy who doesn't play a prototypically "physical" game and see how he can affect a game for 200 feet.
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I'm fine with that, really. Usually when you draft at #20 you end up with players with pro qualities and you pray they find the talent. Mantha has the talent in spades, but he has to find the pro qualities. It's still a gamble, but I'd take that second gamble over the first any day.
 
Guru Meditation said:
I think what he's saying is that the sky's the limit with Mantha. Wennberg is much more a sure thing, but perhaps doesn't have that legit top line player upside.
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^Yeah sort of

If everything pans out well for Mantha, if Blashill/Babcock improves what he needs to improve he WILL be a reliable 80pts+ 1st line winger, where as Wennberg is a safer NHLer but not with that elite potential. I will take that gamble.
 
mindfly said:
I'm not too sure I would trade Mantha for Wennberg right now...too much hidden potential with Mantha.
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Not sure what hidden potential means, but the way I see it we lack a future top line center in the form of Datsyuk/Zetterberg, I was hoping Jarnkrok may be that guy but from what I have seen so far, I doubt it.

Wennberg meets that requirement, he's a guy that has that kind of potential and he's also a safer pick imo.
 
http://www.redwingscentral.com/2013/12/31/4328/mantha-ripping-it-up-at-wjc/

“He’s been really receptive,” two-time gold-medal-winning Canadian head coach Brent Sutter told Yahoo.com after Canada’s win against Germay. “He’s really been a sponge to it and wants to learn that part of it and we’re going to continue to work with him on it.”

Mantha himself told Yahoo he’s doing everything he can to shake the knock that he’s not a complete player: “I think I’m taking that off my name.”
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mindfly said:
^Yeah sort of

If everything pans out well for Mantha, if Blashill/Babcock improves what he needs to improve he WILL be a reliable 80pts+ 1st line winger, where as Wennberg is a safer NHLer but not with that elite potential. I will take that gamble.
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How many players in the NHL would you classify as reliable 80 pt players?
 
Guru Meditation said:
I'm fine with that, really. Usually when you draft at #20 you end up with players with pro qualities and you pray they find the talent. Mantha has the talent in spades, but he has to find the pro qualities. It's still a gamble, but I'd take that second gamble over the first any day.
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Especially in terms of what Detroit needed. We have a bunch of the first kind of guys anyway, making Mantha a much easier choice especially with his having the size we have been looking for.
 
He has unfortunately lot common with Grigorenko. They're not same type of player, but still. Eventhough drafted different years, they are almost same age as well.

Even as Sabres fan I'm not too sure that Grigorenko can shape his game to the NHL level, and I'm even less sure that will happen with Mantha - even if you had Gandalf himself there guiding him.
 
EA Sports GM said:
I don't think he's been terrible defensively, but I think he's been a bit risky with his play and positioning. I mean, I guess that's a part of the confidence factor, if he thinks he can pull it off, he'll go for it. I don't know that it's directly lead to an opposing goal thus far, but it's the plays on which he makes you hold your breath and say "please don't turn it over right here" that show his youth. These can all be ironed out of course, Detroit is a great place for him.
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Dont get me wrong either, I know hes not a stud by any means defensively and I agree with everything you said. I was just trying to say what you are, hes been no riskier than any of these other offensive players on the team and hes out doing all of them offensively as well. It will need work but so will all of these big offensive talents. People just notice it from Mantha more because Bob mackenzie gave his whole stupid talk about him on the bubble and how bad he is at competing. People notice it happen and say oh ya its true.

Heraldic said:
He has unfortunately lot common with Grigorenko. They're not same type of player, but still. Eventhough drafted different years, they are almost same age as well.

Even as Sabres fan I'm not too sure that Grigorenko can shape his game to the NHL level, and I'm even less sure that will happen with Mantha - even if you had Gandalf himself there guiding him.
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This might not be the popular opinion but Im not sure Grigorenko is more of a sure thing. Both of these guys are offensive types but for all his hype Grigorenko fell quite a bit in his draft year. Mantha was picked a few picks later in a strong er draft, I think draft position wise theyre pretty even all things considered.

But as offensive types Mantha has produced more and even in this tournament where Grigorenko has experience, Mantha is putting on a way better showing offensively. Mantha has a more physical/feisty side to his game and has scrapped a bit as well. I'm not sure I would say Grigs is a more sure thing than Mantha at this point at all
 
Heraldic said:
He has unfortunately lot common with Grigorenko. They're not same type of player, but still. Eventhough drafted different years, they are almost same age as well.

Even as Sabres fan I'm not too sure that Grigorenko can shape his game to the NHL level, and I'm even less sure that will happen with Mantha - even if you had Gandalf himself there guiding him.
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Disagree totally. Mantha imo will be the better player.
 
oilsp1ll said:
If you don't think this guy needs a lot of work to his committment defensively to play in the NHL regularly you are kidding yourself. We will see if he has it in him. Nobody's asking him to be Patrice Bergeron out there but he should be watching tape of Jeff Carter to see a big guy who doesn't play a prototypically "physical" game and see how he can affect a game for 200 feet.
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He was taken with the 20th overall just this passed draft, of course he has tools he needs to work on.

Literally every player from that draft has aspects of their game that needs work, especially players taken later on.

What impresses me the most is that Mantha's biggest knock was consistency, and if he cared enough to come up clutch. He's shown he can all year long, never mind the WJC.

He's proving that many teams may regret passing on such an offensive talent.
 
Anthony Mantha

The Red Wings should be buzzing about this kid. He's absolutely dominating the QMJHL this year. In his last 3 years with Val d'Or Foreurs including half this season, he has 214 pts (107g, 107a) in 162 games.

Leads the World Juniors with 11 points (5g, 6a) in 5 games.

What's up?
 
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