The Toronto Maple Leafs have been one of the most active teams this offseason, but they may not be done.
Toronto has added plenty of talent to the bottom-six, but the Maple Leafs still could use another top-six forward. With that, NHL analyst Jim Parsons of The Hockey Writers urges the Maple Leafs to sign Anthony Mantha.
“Why is Anthony Mantha still unsigned? If it’s because he wants a higher salary that no one is willing to give, the Leafs should probably steer clear. However, if it’s simply a lack of interest — much like what happened with Jack Roslovic last summer — he might be worth a gamble,” Parsons wrote.
“He’s a 6’5, 230 lbs winger who can score 25-30 goals. He can be inconsistent, but he’s got skill. If his situation drags on, he might be willing to sign a show-me deal to prove last season wasn’t a one-off. On a roster that possesses the skill Toronto does, he could do much worse.”
Mantha is likely the top free agent available, as he’s coming off a stellar year where he recorded 33 goals and 31 assists for 64 points with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Yet, he still remains unsigned, as there are some questions about whether last year was a fluke and whether he can repeat it.
However, the longer Mantha goes without being signed, the cheaper he could come and the lower the risk of signing him. He also adds more size to the lineup, as he’s 6-foot-5, 240lbs and can play in the top-six.
Depending on the price, Mantha makes a lot of sense for Toronto to add some more secondary scoring.
Analyst Explains Why Mantha is Unsigned
Although Mantha is coming off a stellar season, he still has doubters, as he had struggled in the past couple of years.
With that, former NHL goalie and now analyst Carter Hutton said on DailyFaceoff Live that he believes Mantha will need to prove doubters wrong again.
“I think at his age and his inconsistency that we’ve seen in the past, it’s probably buyer beware. I guess if you’re Anthony Mantha you’re just sitting here waiting to kind of see where the dust settles, too, in a sense,” Hutton said. “There’s still going to be a lot of cap space for a lot of these teams, and even if he’s going to have to take a one-year deal, he can probably pull in a pretty good number, and then it’s off the books again to help support some players and some teams, and be a guy that can maybe be that second-line scorer.”
Hutton believes teams are cautious about Mantha, but his size and scoring will entice them to offer him a deal.
Maple Leafs GM Not Done After Aggressive Offseason
Toronto has been active this offseason, and the team may not be done.
New general manager John Chayka has overhauled the roster, and he said on Real Kyper & Bourne that he still believes there’s room to add.
“Purely philosophically, I think a general manager’s job is to star-hunt, first and foremost. This game can be changed by a few top players making a big impact on a franchise, so the depth piece matters, how you fill out a roster, how you manage the cap, that’s all necessary but not maybe sufficient,” Chayka said. “I think about the role of the general manager and their ability to go out and big-game hunt and I think that’s kind of priority No. 1.”
The Maple Leafs are currently over the cap.
Maple Leafs Urged to Sign 33-Goal Scorer to Bolster Offense in Intriguing Move