Anthony Mantha Sent to AHL, Sky is Blue

With the roster deadline at 5pm today, the Wings made several moves to adjust accordingly.

One of those moves was to send Anthony Mantha down to the AHL.

A first round draft pick in 2013, Mantha has spent the last two seasons in the AHL. He made his NHL debut late last season, where he scored two goals and an assist in 10 games. He also had a 5v5 CF% of 54.36%, and a PDO of 86.55.

This isn’t much of a surprise for anyone, as the Red Wings are notorious for overcooking their prospects. However, it’s still an issue, especially considering that the team isn’t as deep as it used to be. A quick look at the guys who are going to make it over Mantha, and you’ll see why it’s an issue.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom. One of the biggest bright spots is that Mantha took this long to get cut. Considering that he was the last cut from the team, this means that he might be the first call up in case of an injury. And if that injury is say, a Ott or a Miller, perhaps he impresses the team so much that he wins over their roster spot, and plays full time with the team.

Also, he’s only had two seasons in the AHL, and 10 games in the NHL. It’s not like it would kill him to spend more time in the minors to fine tune his game. He’s still waiver exempt, and he’s not old enough that it will over ripen him.

Still, it’s not a good sign, considering the recent waiver claims of Frk and Pulkkinen. Is Mantha doomed to this life, or will Detroit end up changing their ways? We don’t know yet, but it’s not looking good thus far.