The Detroit Red Wings, according to Ansar Khan of MLive, were on the finishing line with bringing back an old friend.
In a recent article, Khan revealed that the Red Wings offered a one-year, $5 million contract to former first rounder Anthony Mantha -- one of the top free agents this offseason.
"With Dylan Larkin seemingly on his way out and Patrick Kane declining to re-sign, the Red Wings were and still are desperate for offense. So, Yzerman offered Anthony Mantha a one-year deal for $5 million." Khan said. "Mantha nearly accepted. Then Yzerman was out two days later, and the New Jersey Devils signed Mantha for two years at a $4.75 million average annual value."
The Red Wings are in the midst of one of the most chaotic offseasons in recent memory. Due to this uncertainty, a lot of things on Steve Yzerman's to-do list fell to the wayside. Mantha was likely one of Yzerman's contingency plans in the even that Patrick Kane signed with a different organization.
The only way to see Mantha in the Winged Wheel this season is to throw on highlights of the past.
What Mantha could've done to help the Red Wings
At this point, the Red Wings know who Mantha is and what he can bring to the table. He hit career highs this last season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, scoring 33 goals and 64 points. At 31 years of age, it's hard to tell if he could replicate that level of production. That said, adding a 20-30 goal scorer to this roster would've gone a long way toward fixing the Red Wings' offense.
There are still quite a few unanswered questions about the Red Wings, namely Larkin's fate, the lack of depth at center and the uncertainty surrounding Alex DeBrincat. But Mantha would've surely added a solid amount of offense to improve with Kane departing.
Still, perhaps it isn't a bad thing that Mantha signed with another roster. There's a chance that he never reaches the heights he did last season. At 31, it's hard to imagine he'll continue improving in the future.
No Mantha means more room for rookies
The biggest positive to not signing Mantha, however, means the possibility for a youth movement to take hold. Between soon-to-be NHLers like Michael Brandsegg-Nygard and aspiring players like Carter Bear, there's no shortage of talent ready to take the next step in their careers. Without Kane (or Mantha, for that matter) in the lineup, there's even more room for young players to step in and thrive.
Ultimately, it's up to the future general manager to determine that path. The best way to ensure the success of the franchise long-term, though, is to allow the younger players to make names for themselves at the NHL level. That way, if they're talented, they can either find a future (or a new home) in the organization.
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