Mantha named CHL player of the year

[jammer2]

  Not a huge surprise here. All the giant 6'5 forward did was score a goal a game in the regular season, and backed that up with a goal a game in the QHL playoffs and Memorial Cup. This kid should stick next year, even with the uber cautious Wings. A prospect usually tolls with Grand Rapids for a few years, but this kid is special, he should make it right out of the gates, and supply the Wings offense with a much needed infusion of offense.

 

 

http://www.freep.com/article/20140527/SPORTS05/305270033/detroit-red-wings-anthony-mantha

[J0e Th0rnton]

  Not a huge surprise here. All the giant 6'5 forward did was score a goal a game in the regular season, and backed that up with a goal a game in the QHL playoffs and Memorial Cup. This kid should stick next year, even with the uber cautious Wings. A prospect usually tolls with Grand Rapids for a few years, but this kid is special, he should make it right out of the gates, and supply the Wings offense with a much needed infusion of offense.

 

 

http://www.freep.com/article/20140527/SPORTS05/305270033/detroit-red-wings-anthony-mantha

I remember the sharks skipped him in the draft because of his supposed "Commitment" problems. Apparently, this kid likes to party and can often give the Rick Nash streaky effort(None) despite the talent, and nobody would confuse him for a two way player.

 

Hopefully it works out though. An honor like this might have him licing his chops to prove himself more. I was a bit peeved when they passed on him myself.

[jammer2]

@J0e Th0rnton  From a Flyers perspective, it puts that much more pressure on the Morin pick to work out, cause this kid is looking awesome and could have been had by the Flyers.

[OccamsRazor]

@J0e Th0rnton  From a Flyers perspective, it puts that much more pressure on the Morin pick to work out, cause this kid is looking awesome and could have been had by the Flyers.

 

 

I don't think so Jammer we know Morin was to fill a need Flyer had really no talent on the farm they needed to stock the stable.

 

And we know the Flyers can find fowards when they need to it's their strong suit. Defensemen may be their kryptonite.

 

However i think they have some with this kid no i'm not claiming him to be the next Weber but he barely missed the cut off date he almost had to wai till this draft so with that in mind he is just 18 and 6-7 210 Dmen that can skate with a snarl just don't grow on trees.

 

All the Flyer s need to do it let him grow...they have planted the seed just keep watering it. It will blossom...i know it. Am i a optimist????

 

Sure you bet cha it's easy to be negative i like this move. 

 

Mantha too i believe will be good but Detroit needed wingers/forwards. They filled a need. Or maybe to them took the best player available win win.

Edited May 28, 2014 by OccamsRazor

[yave1964]

@OccamsRazor

 

To me when you draft unless you are taking one of the no brainer picks early in the draft, need should not be factored in as much as best available. When you are passing on a  more talented (But risky) player to take a less talented (But risky) player, the odds are that the pick will not work out. Need is fine, but usually after the first four or five picks you do not see the kids in the NHL for several years and by then the needs of the team change anyway, unless you are an Edmonton who always needs goaltending and defense but draft forwards, usually because of their draft position.

  So to me, and even though I am a Wing fan and I like Mantha I am not sold on him as yet, there are a half dozen teams who drafted 'need' who may yet regret it. Best available to me is the soundest way to go.

[flyercanuck]

Mantha definately took the knocks on his game and used them as motivation. He's still lousy defensively, but there are plenty of those in the NHL. He became a lot more consistent this year. It looks like Mario? made a good call on him, though time will tell on all these kids.

 

Since Lindros won CHL player of the year, here are some names that have won it ...Charles Poulin, Pat Peake, David Ling, Christian Dube, Simon Gamache, Corey Locke, Justin Azevado, Brendan Shinnimin and Radulov. There are obviously plenty of good or great NHLers who have won. But it doesn't necessarily mean anything going forward.

[yave1964]

Mantha definately took the knocks on his game and used them as motivation. He's still lousy defensively, but there are plenty of those in the NHL. He became a lot more consistent this year. It looks like Mario? made a good call on him, though time will tell on all these kids.

 

Since Lindros won CHL player of the year, here are some names that have won it ...Charles Poulin, Pat Peake, David Ling, Christian Dube, Simon Gamache, Corey Locke, Justin Azevado, Brendan Shinnimin and Radulov. There are obviously plenty of good or great NHLers who have won. But it doesn't necessarily mean anything going forward.

Thanks for the perspective. Negative Nelly.

[flyercanuck]

@yave1964

 

 Haha. In fairness Mantha had a spectacular year. He had some issues going into last year  I think you guys got a steal of a pick.

[OccamsRazor]

@OccamsRazor

 

To me when you draft unless you are taking one of the no brainer picks early in the draft, need should not be factored in as much as best available. When you are passing on a  more talented (But risky) player to take a less talented (But risky) player, the odds are that the pick will not work out. Need is fine, but usually after the first four or five picks you do not see the kids in the NHL for several years and by then the needs of the team change anyway, unless you are an Edmonton who always needs goaltending and defense but draft forwards, usually because of their draft position.

  So to me, and even though I am a Wing fan and I like Mantha I am not sold on him as yet, there are a half dozen teams who drafted 'need' who may yet regret it. Best available to me is the soundest way to go.

 

I thought he was a good take with your pick...and also addressing your needs too, with out knowing your needs that is. I gather you had your eyes on another prospect.....who would you have rather taken if that is the case?

[yave1964]

Frederik Gauthier and Kerby Rychel were the two that I had in mind before the draft, Rychel went right before our pick, Gathier went right after. Gauthier is a big defensive minded forward who is the type the Wings have had a lot of luck with in the past. I kind of picture him turning out to be a Kris Draper type.

 

  The funny part is Mantha, whose offensive skill and defensive liabilities seems as if he were a perfect fit for the Leafs, and Gauthier who seems as if he would have been a perfect Wing are on the wrong teams, lol. We don't usually tolerate defensive liabilities among our forwards (See Damian Brunner, Ville Leino, ect..) and the Leafs do not usually treat defensive players like Gauthier with anything other than suspicion. I just think Gauthier would have been a better fit.

[flyercanuck]

@yave1964

 

Isn't Gauthier slow as a glacier?

[yave1964]

@yave1964

 

Isn't Gauthier slow as a glacier?

From what I understand speed is not one of his strongsuits but a bit of offense, a ton of hockey smarts and great defense make up for a lot. Your right, he does not have Draper's speed but his overall game is typical of what the Wings have done very well with. Mantha is a one dimensional player, granted it is the one skill that a lot of people would kill for. Overall, I think that Gauthier is more of a typical Wing than Gauthier. That said, I have been crying about our lack of scoring from the Wing for years and it is nice having Nyquist, Tatar, Pulkinnen, Jurco, Athanasiou and Mantha to fill the wing position giving us more true skill and youth on the wing than any time in a long, long time.

[flyercanuck]

@yave1964

 

I'm pretty sure Athanasiou is going to be a very good player. The guy is electric!

[blocker]

I haven't watched Mantha as much as the rest of you.  And, I'm not up to speed on junior hockey.

 

But, Mantha is a big kid.  How many times have we heard the knock on big young players that they're lazy, or not motivated enough. 

 

I dunno the reason why, but lots of big kids are slow starters in the pros. 

Edited May 28, 2014 by blocker

[Haliax]

I haven't watched Mantha as much as the rest of you.  And, I'm not up to speed on junior hockey.

 

But, Mantha is a big kid.  How many times have we heard the knock on big young players that they're lazy, or not motivated enough. 

 

I dunno the reason why, but lots of big kids are slow starters in the pros. 

The thing with Mantha is that he always looks like he could be moving faster, but I think it has far more to do with his stride than the actual amount of effort he puts into it. In the games I watched, it seemed he would over take other players even while not looking like he was skating hard. Watching some of his highlights, the guy is good at getting into position, and choosing right times to go to the net. He isn't tough on the boards at all really, but that could be an aspect of the game he picks up at higher levels. 

 

And for all the complaints of his lack of compete, the guy sure worked hard on the back check. He wasn't always good positionally, but you could tell he was trying.

[jammer2]

@Haliax  I think Mantha has a great shot at rookie of the year coming up. I've got him in the top 5. My feeling is they try and instill confidence my giving him a top 6 role. That's the place he should be moving forward, and considering the type of player he is, I don't see to start him outt on lines 3 or 4, he is not that type of player, so no sense in trying to fit a round peg in a square hole. Playing in the top 6 means you are playing with Zetts or Pavel...either way, the kid is gonna have some great chances and guys who can get him the puck, so he can make things happen. If he impresses enough, might even get a crack at top pp, which would really help his point totals. Moving a kid right into the NHL level in their first year is virtually unheard of for the Wings, but Mantha is a special player.

[Haliax]

@jammer2

If Mantha makes the team next year, it would without a doubt be in a top 6 capacity, but I think he'll spend most of the year in Grand Rapids. Hopefully I'm wrong though and he earns a spot on the roster.

[jammer2]

@Haliax  I think he starts out with Datsuyk and scores 25 in his rookie season. I'm thinking if he can't crack the top 6 in Detroit, he gets a top 6 spot with Grand Rapids. I just don't see him fitting into a bottom 6 role.