The Pittsburgh Penguins are entering the off-season with multiple pending unrestricted free agents (UFAs). Anthony Mantha is their most notable one, as he just had an excellent season for the Penguins in 2025-26. In 81 games this campaign for the Penguins, Mantha recorded new career highs with 33 goals, 31 assists, and 64 points. When noting that Mantha signed a one-year, prove-it deal with the Penguins during last off-season, it is clear that he provided them with a ton of value. Yet, now Mantha is due for his next contract, and there is no question that he has set himself up for a nice payday. This remains the case whether he ends up re-signing with the Penguins or goes elsewhere in free agency. Mantha is one of this year's top NHL pending UFAs, so he is in a position to ask for a notable pay raise. He chose a great time to have a career year, and he should end up being rewarded for it. Even if he struggled during the post-season, Mantha hitting the 30-goal and 60-point marks this regular-season has upped his value in a weak free agency class. It is going to be interesting to see what kind of contract Mantha ends up landing this off-season from here.
