Anthony Mantha is showing the rest of the NHL that the New Jersey Devils boast a deep group of forwards after his performance vs. the Blues.
Fans will often think about Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, Arseny Gritsyuk, and Nico Hischier when it comes to the Devils’ top-scoring forwards. Mantha is entering that conversation, especially after his three-point outburst in Thursday’s win over the Blues.
Two of Mantha’s points went in for goals, so it was no surprise that he took the First Star on Thursday. Mantha’s wrist shot at the 12:02 mark of the second period, courtesy of helpers from Hughes and Bratt, put the Devils up 2-0.
While Bratt ultimately won the game for New Jersey in overtime, Mantha’s efforts made sure the Devils made it difficult for the Blues to come back.
At 18:19 in the second period, Mantha backhanded the puck into the net to put the Devils up 4-1. This forced St. Louis to score three goals in the third period to extend the game into overtime.
While head coach Sheldon Keefe reminded everyone he would rather not see the Devils collapse so late, forcing St. Louis into a three-goal deficit also showed off Mantha’s incredible impact.
Anthony Mantha Continues To Make An Impact In The NHL
Mantha was never an incredible player in the NHL, but he has almost always been solid. He enjoyed a phenomenal age-31 season in 2025-26 with the Pittsburgh Penguins after scoring 33 goals and ending the year with 64 points.
Although Mantha never posted over 48 points in a single season before that, he has always been a reliable scorer. He put up 24+ goals twice as a member of the Detroit Red Wings.
Mantha also enjoyed a strong 2023-24 season with the Washington Capitals and Vegas Golden Knights, scoring 44 points and 23 goals in 74 contests. Even during his ultra-short 13-game stint with the Calgary Flames, Mantha had four goals and seven points.
Given Mantha’s solid career as an NHL journeyman, it’s not surprising to see that he is once again making an offensive impact with New Jersey.
With five goals and nine points in 16 games, Mantha is continuing to better resemble the player he was in Pittsburgh than in his previous stops. That can further play into the Devils’ hands as they look to stay in the Metro Division’s top three.
Mantha’s Presence Gives The Devils Depth-Scoring Options
What’s more impressive about Mantha’s early stint with New Jersey? He is currently ninth among Devils forwards in average total ice time at 13:28.
The number shows that opponents must expect production from New Jersey’s middle six and lower lines, as long as they stay healthy. Their best players already need to figure out how to stop the likes of Hughes, Bratt, Hischier, and Gritsyuk. Meier can also join that conversation if he gets going.
Figuring out how to get the best of players like Mantha or Connor Brown (three goals and five points in eight games) will be tough. For the Devils, that is a massive advantage.
Going forward, watch Mantha’s production and see if his ice time remains in the middle six. If it does, the Devils will have a deep forward group all season.
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