Red Wings GM Holland on Anthony Mantha: 'It's more than just, 'Can you score?'
If it were up to Detroit Red Wings top prospect Anthony Mantha, there's no question that he would be on the opening night roster in October.
"If you ask me, I think I am [ready for the NHL]," Mantha said, via MLive. "At the end of the summer, I'll be a few pounds heavier. I think I can play there...The skill level is there. I'm a tall, big guy. I think I can play there but obviously I need to be ready next year."
No one doubts Mantha's scoring touch, especially after the 19-year-old recorded 81 goals in 81 games (regular season and playoffs combined) for the QMJHL's Val d'Or Foreurs last season.
But Red Wings general manager Ken Holland, who has traditionally been quite reluctant to rush the club's prospects, says there's far more to making the team than goal scoring:
How is he physically? Is he good defensively. Lots of times in junior, college and Europe, scores are 5-4, 6-5 and we play a lot 2-1 and 3-2 games. So if you don't score what else do you bring to the table?
If you don't score, can you kill a penalty, are you good defensively, can you win physical battles, can you protect the puck down low, can you forecheck and force the defense to make mistakes? It's more than just, 'Can you score?'
Unless you can score 80 goals, and nobody scores 80 goals let alone 50 goals.
Having said that, Holland is not discounting the possibility of Mantha making the team. If he does, it will be because the 6-foot-5, 204-pound demonstrates he can hang with Detroit's best players.
Per Holland:
If he's in the lineup it's because basically we think he's going to be a top-six forward. I don't know we'd put him on the fourth line and play him eight minutes.
I know Mike Babcock wants to give Mantha some opportunities with Datsyuk, Zetterberg, with our best players. We have eight exhibition games. I know we want him to play 5-6. After we've watched him play for three weeks and we get to the end of September or early October, he's got to take somebody's job.
The opportunity will be there, and all Mantha has to do is go out and prove that he is indeed ready to make the jump to the NHL. Anything less, and he'll likely spend some time in the AHL, much like most of Detroit's prospects who have come down the pipe ahead of him.