Red Wings' Devellano rips top prospect Mantha: 'We had such high hopes for him'
This isn't the Detroit Red Wings we know, trumpeting patience and reaping the rewards.
Senior vice president Jim Devellano was alarmingly critical of former first-round draft selection Anthony Mantha following the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins' 3-1 series-clinching win over the Toronto Marlies on Sunday.
"Very, very, very disappointing," Devellano told Keith Gave of FOX Sports Detroit after taking in the final three games of the Griffins' series. "And I say that with a lot of sadness.
"Coming out of junior, we had such high hopes for him."
Mantha was pushing for a roster spot with the Red Wings before breaking his leg in a prospects tournament game in September, forcing him to miss the first two months of the season.
It's an injury worthy of a reprieve - especially considering he still has two years left on his deal and scored 74 goals in 74 games in his final season of junior - but it's been disregarded with an incredibly odd finality.
Mantha scored 33 points in his rookie season and contributed one assist in five postseason games thus far, and he's a highly sought-after prospect in trade discussions.
The Red Wings, however, were believed to be unwilling to move the 6-foot-5 forward in any deal during the season.
- With h/t to Kukla's Korner