Breaking News: Anthony Mantha Traded by Detroit Red Wings to Washington Capitals

Mantha has had a star-crossed time in his six seasons with the team. He scored four goals against the Dallas Stars in the home opener of the 2019-2020 season. He would end that season scoring only 16 goals in 43 games played before the season was shut down due to the coronavirus. He has scored a career-high of 25 goals in the 2018-2019 season in 67 games played. The Red Wings have only made the playoffs once with Mantha on the team, his rookie season of 2015-2016, in which he only played in 10 games.

As I wrote previously, Mantha is a talented player but his work ethic was always questioned. He was seen as "floating" on the ice. This was not an exception this season. Mantha was healthy scratched by head coach Jeff Blashill for a game in February against the Florida Panthers. It was not known at the time but Mantha returned from an injury in which he fell on the ice after being "slew-footed" by Jake Muzzin of the Toronto Maple Leafs. As it turns out, Mantha had a punctured lung from the fall.

What is the Return for Anthony Mantha?

The return for Mantha is a lot. Right-winger Panik, left-winger Vrana, a first-round pick in the 2021 NHL entry draft, and a second-round pick in the 2022 draft will certainly accelerate the Red Wing’s rebuild. Vrana is a 25-year-old selected 13^th overall in the 2014 draft. He scored 25 goals in the 2019-2020 season, the year after the team won the Stanley Cup. With the moves that General Manager Steve Yzerman has made the team is trying to make it back to that level.

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