The Detroit Red Wings have called up forward Anthony Mantha from their minor league affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins. He will make his debut Tuesday against the Philadelphia Flyers in a game with major playoff implications.
Detroit currently holds the second Wildcard playoff spot in the Eastern Conference—three points ahead of the Flyers.
Mantha has seven goals in his last 13 games with the Griffins. He’s third in team scoring with 21 goals, 24 assists and a plus-18 rating in 56 AHL games.
“The last month in Grand Rapids he’s been one of our best players, really since probably the middle of February he’s kind of taken another step in his career and he’s been very consistent the last I’d say 12 to 14 games, and it’s a recall that’s very well deserved and very much earned by him,” said Detroit Assistant General manager Ryan Martin. “You see consistency from night to night, confidence with the puck…He’s stronger on the puck, more competitive without the puck.”
The expectation is that the 6-24, 205-pounder will bring some much needed size and scoring ability to the main roster of a team struggling to put pucks in the net. The Wings have scored more than three goals in a sinle game just once over their past 10 and have been shut out twice over the same time frame.
“When you go to watch him play a game in Grand Rapids now the number of high skill plays he has where he’s big and strong and taking to the net are more frequent than they have in the past and with that the puck is going in the net some more and he’s got some added confidence so that’s certainly helped him.”
Mantha was selected 20th overall by the Red Wings in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft after scoring 50 goals and 39 assists in 67 games for Val d’Or Foreurs of the QMJHL.
