When Timo Meier was given a game misconduct in the second period of the Nov. 5 game against the St. Louis Blues, the New Jersey Devils were forced to pivot. “Instigator and fighting. I mean, you get a 17-minute out of a guy that didn't even throw a punch. It's kind of harsh,” Anthony Mantha stated after the game about the penalty. “But that's the ruling, and everyone needs to step up, take a couple extra shifts, and be attentive on the bench to see who's going next,” he added. 

Everyone had to take on a bigger role as the Devils finished the game with 11 forwards. Specifically, the left wingers had to play throughout the lineup, with Mantha in particular moving around throughout the second and third periods. 

Mantha started the night on the Evan Rodrigues and Jesper Boqvist line. After the Meier game misconduct, he played a handful of shifts with Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt, who helped him find the back of the net twice in the 5-4 overtime win. 

The recent game was one of his best of the season, as he scored twice and added an assist. Moreover, it was another reminder that Mantha is a versatile forward and a secret weapon for the Devils. 

The Hughes line is where Mantha started the season. After the Devils signed him in the offseason, they wanted him to round out that line and be the physical scoring presence to take it up a notch. However, he struggled to start the season, playing a step behind the two fast skaters. 

Instead, Arseny Gritsyuk took off on the Hughes line and became the scorer who took it to another level. Mantha, meanwhile, found a role on the Rodrigues line and gave the Devils a third line that could check but also add a scoring presence. 

Mantha still has the skill to play on the top line. It’s why he found the back of the net twice while playing alongside Bratt and Hughes. He can also move up to Nico Hischier’s line if needed, something Keefe might consider at some point down the stretch. “You just try and fit in. We work on chemistry in practice with everyone a little bit,” Mantha stated after the latest game. 

When given the chance and the open looks, Mantha will make the most of them. “He had a couple really good moments, and those are goal-scorer goals,” head coach Sheldon Keefe noted after the game, one of which Mantha looked confident and was a key part of the Devils' success. 

Mantha is a big and physical presence in the lineup. It’s what made him an X-factor throughout his career. Teams saw him and his high upside and knew that, with the right linemates, he could become a reliable winger and a tough player for opponents to stop. 

The Pittsburgh Penguins saw his upside last season as he scored 31 goals. The Devils are benefiting this season from Mantha scoring five goals and adding four assists, while also adding a much-needed physical presence. His scoring touch, while creating a few highlight moments, isn’t where he’s made the biggest impact. It’s everything else that adds up. 

The Devils haven’t had this type of play on their third line. In the past, they either had depth that could defend but not score, or vice versa. Now, they have both, even if Mantha plays in the top six. If Mantha moves up in the lineup, the Devils have other forwards who can step up and play a checking role.

It’s a feather in general manager Sunny Mehta’s cap. He made multiple moves to give the Devils a new look in their forward unit with depth that could overwhelm opponents. Mantha was the big signing in free agency, while Evan Rodrigues, Jesper Boqvist, Luke Evangelista, and Amadeus Lombardi were all acquired in trades. 

Evangelista has become a staple on the Hischier line, with eight points in 13 games. Rodrigues and Boqvist, meanwhile, have been pivotal for the third line’s success, with Boqvist in particular scoring five goals, including one in the recent win over the Blues. They allow Keefe to change up the pace and slow the game down, but also still generate offense.

It’sgiven the Devils plenty of optimism this season. The Connor Hellebuyck addition raised expectations, and the defense is coming into form, particularly with Luke Hughes emerging as a two-way player who can find the back of the net. That said, a key quality for the Devils to become a Cup contender is their forward unit proving it can do it all. So far, they’ve proven that, with Mantha embodying that versatility.