On Wednesday morning, multiple reports confirmed the New Jersey Devils had signed winger Anthony Mantha to a two-year, $9.5 million deal, carrying a $4.75 million annual cap hit. 

The move came as a bit of a surprise given the season Mantha was coming off, a career year with the Pittsburgh Penguins that saw him set new personal bests with 33 goals and 31 assists for 64 points in 81 games.

Some in Hockeytown had hoped their former first-round pick might find his way back to Detroit as the Red Wings entered the offseason looking to add scoring punch to their forward group. 

Mantha, drafted 20th overall by Detroit in 2013, spent six seasons with the organization, posting 95 goals and 99 assists for 194 points across 302 games and stringing together four straight seasons of 36 or more points before Detroit moved on. 

The Red Wings sent him to the Washington Capitals in April 2021 in a deal that brought back a 2021 first-round pick, a 2022 second-round pick, and forwards Jakub Vrana and Richard Panik.

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From there, Mantha bounced from Washington to Vegas to Calgary before landing in Pittsburgh last summer on a modest, bonus-laden prove-it deal. He cashed in on that bet in a big way, delivering the best offensive season of his career and helping fuel a resurgent Penguins team down the stretch.

Given that kind of production, the market's response was still relatively modest as Mantha's camp reportedly wanted a longer-term deal with a real raise, but instead settled for two years at $4.75 million annually with New Jersey. The number may suggest teams around the league remain cautious given his injury history and inconsistent stretches over the years.

For Detroit, it's a fair question whether the front office should have made a harder push. Yzerman entered the offseason with plenty of cap space to work with and a clear need for more offense, and Mantha's size and net-front presence could have gone a long way. 

He could have slotted into the middle six, served as a contingency plan if Patrick Kane doesn't return, or simply provided a scoring boost to a top nine that could use one. Instead, Detroit's front office didn't appear to view it as a priority.

Whether that had anything to do with what else was happening behind the scenes is unclear, but the timing is notable. That same Wednesday morning, the Red Wings also announced that general manager Steve Yzerman was stepping down from his role and transitioning into an advisory position within the organization. 

Whatever the reason, for the price the Devils paid to add a forward with a career year and a proven 40-point floor, it's a move that could end up looking like a missed opportunity in Detroit.

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