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Penguins losing Anthony Mantha means their middle-six scoring plan is fragile
Photo credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images
Pittsburgh Hockey Now reported Anthony Mantha missed Wednesday's practice, and Pittsburgh just lost a 26-27-53 finisher on an expiring bargain.
Anthony Mantha, 31, is on a one-year $2.5 million deal that expires this summer, with Pittsburgh Hockey Now previously reporting up to $2 million in bonuses attached.
The 2013 first-round pick, 20th overall by the Detroit Red Wings, is not filler in this lineup.
This is roster stress, because Mantha's size, touch, and net-front finish give Dan Muse a real middle-six release valve.
Pittsburgh is 35-20-16, and the timing bites with Ottawa next on the schedule.
You can see the missing element in the post below, a big winger who turns broken-zone chaos into clean offense.
If Mantha sits, the Penguins lose more than goals.
They lose one of the few forwards who can hold pucks below the dots, drag coverage with him, and still finish the play.
Anthony Mantha changes Pittsburgh Penguins math
Fans are right to read this as a summer warning, not just a practice note.
An expiring winger scoring at a 53-point pace on a $2.5 million cap hit is either a smart re-sign target or a production slot Pittsburgh cannot replace cheaply.
That is the real ripple.
Mantha is also playing this season after knee surgery wiped out most of last year, which sharpens every availability question around him.
Without his heavy-game reps, Pittsburgh leans harder on rush skill and asks smaller forwards to win more inside ice than this roster naturally should.
That is why one missed practice lands louder than it looks, and why Mantha's status now touches both the next game and Kyle Dubas's summer board.
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| POLL | ||
MARS 25|58 ANSWERS Penguins losing Anthony Mantha means their middle-six scoring plan is fragile Should the Penguins try to re-sign Anthony Mantha this summer? | ||
| Yes | 56 | 96.6 % |
| No | 2 | 3.4 % |
| List of polls | ||