The Montreal Canadiens had some interest in Anthony Mantha and had preliminary talks but it never led to a contract offer.
After signing his two-year deal with the New Jersey Devils earlier this week, Longueil native Anthony Mantha was introduced to the press via Zoom call and, unsurprisingly, there were some media members from Quebec to ask about the Montreal Canadiens’ reported interest.
La Presse’s Richard Labbe asked the big winger if he had talks with the Habs: “We did have talks. There was mutual interest, but when it came time to discuss years and numbers, they didn’t put an offer on the table, so we went in another direction. We gave them a whole week to call us back, but they never did.”
Given how Mantha described what it was after, it’s not entirely surprising that the Canadiens didn’t really throw their hat in the ring. The 31-year-old confirmed that he was initially after a three- or four-year deal but that no team was willing to offer him that. He was essentially told that he was often injured and that there was doubt about whether he could replicate his performance from last season. While the athlete believes he can do it again, the teams were clearly not convinced.
After signing two one-year deals with the Calgary Flames and the Pittsburgh Penguins, the father of three was seeking a bit more stability for his family, but it wasn’t easy to find. He explained that the Devils were initially interested in a one-year pact, but that he went back to them asking for a two-year deal with a lower cap hit, and they eventually reached an agreement.
As previously discussed, while Mantha has a big frame, he doesn’t exactly play big and wouldn’t have been an ideal fit for a Canadiens’ team that’s trying to add some sandpaper. Of course, he does have offensive skills, but it’s not a given that he would have been responsible enough defensively to thrive in Martin St-Louis’ brand of hockey.
If the Canadiens were solely after goal scoring, Patrik Laine would have been given a spot in the lineup at the tail end of last season, but he wasn’t. If Kent Hughes were to put pen to paper with a free agent, it would be with a player he’s confident will find his way in the lineup and improve the team.
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