Mantha

[brett 1,029]

he shouldve played

if he did it wouldnt have been much

but at least it wouldve given me some interest to watch

[Nyquistfan14 489]

He needs to play full time and a lot next year. Him, AA and Larkin need to be the focus of development next year. Done with the eurojokes (Nyquist and Tatar)

[Aethernum 276]

He needs to play full time and a lot next year. Him, AA and Larkin need to be the focus of development next year. Done with the eurojokes (Nyquist and Tatar)

I agree AND disagree. Nyquist and Tatar need to join them as the focus of the next core. This year they were relegated to secondary scoring roles, and that just doesn't make sense for their styles of play and talent level. Tatar was one of the only two players on the squad to reach 20 goals this season (Larkin being the other). He was tied for third in points in the regular season, and he had the most points for us (albeit only three) in the postseason. He needs to be playing top line minutes.

Nyquist is a trickier case, because obviously we know he has the talent to be a top line scorer for us. But something happened to him this season. Based on his last two years of production, I think you have to give him another shot, but with the knowledge in the back of your head that maybe his best seasons were flukes.

A core of Nyquist, Tatar, and Glendening providing a bridge between new core members Larkin, AA, and Mantha and older vets Dats, Z, and Abby (yeah I know he's only 29 but still...) is what we need right now. At the moment we're either too young OR too old. It's time to give the young kids a chance, and that includes making Nyquist and Tatar a central part of the plan, not just leftovers.

A top six next year of: Larkin, AA, Mantha, Nyquist, Tatar, Glendening, with Z/Dats/Abby as a third line and whoever else on the fourth line. That will show us who can actually produce when their names are called.

[laporte15 3]

Glendening is not a top six player. He's a 4th line/ grind line type of player.

[chaps80 1,591]

I dodn't pay much attention to the team stats this season...only two players hit 20 goals?! That's pretty pathetic.

[Aethernum 276]

Glendening is not a top six player. He's a 4th line/ grind line type of player.

That fits his style of play, but he is also our best face-off man. I'd love to find a way to combine his FO numbers with the skills of Larkin/AA/Mantha on the wing. I know Larkin/AA play center, but they aren't used to NHL level centers yet.

[wings4thecup06 504]

That fits his style of play, but he is also our best face-off man. I'd love to find a way to combine his FO numbers with the skills of Larkin/AA/Mantha on the wing. I know Larkin/AA play center, but they aren't used to NHL level centers yet.

Dude you can't just do a Ken Holland and over value your own players to fill a top 6 role! (jokes). In all seriousness, Glendening is awesome, but he has hands of stone. He can't play in the top 6. He should be a 4th line shut down guy ala Maltby of years past driving people nuts.

[marcaractac 3,962]

It's time to move Larkin and AA into center roles, and to make sure they learn all the tricks to winning faceoffs at this level. Down the middle it should be Larkin, AA, Hank, and Glenny. In that order. Hank is still a very important part of this team. He just needs to play less minutes during the season. Even during the rough patches.

Abby/UFA-Larkin-Goose

Tatar-AA-Mantha

Sheahan-Hank-Jurco

Helm-Glenny-Abby/UFA

[Richdg 267]

It's time to move Larkin and AA into center roles, and to make sure they learn all the tricks to winning faceoffs at this level. Down the middle it should be Larkin, AA, Hank, and Glenny. In that order. Hank is still a very important part of this team. He just needs to play less minutes during the season. Even during the rough patches.

Abby/UFA-Larkin-Goose

Tatar-AA-Mantha

Sheahan-Hank-Jurco

Helm-Glenny-Abby/UFA

agreed. For AA and Larkin to become great C's they have to play C. For Mantha to become a quality NHL F he has to play in the NHL. The fact he didn't get a game is nearly criminal.

[marcaractac 3,962]

agreed. For AA and Larkin to become great C's they have to play C. For Mantha to become a quality NHL F he has to play in the NHL. The fact he didn't get a game is nearly criminal.

Just imagine that forward lineup if we could add Stamkos.

On the back end I'd like to see:

Dekeyser-Aquasition

Kronwall-Smith

Green-Marchenko

XO/Sproul

If we can't land a top dman, give Russo a shot. If we do acquire a dman, I'd imagine XO would be traded and Russo be given a year to be the go to guy for the Griffins. Either way, I feel Russo has the best shot at becoming an important part of the defense.

Landing a top dman and/or Stamkos this summer makes the team a contender now. Getting neither I still like the future of the team, even if it means missing the playoffs next season. Blash just gotta put his trust in the kids. That's the key. Sure the streak is good business, but it is also short-sighted. giving the kids the reigns now, win or lose, is a big long term investment. The pieces are there. They just need to play and learn, despite their mistakes. Mrazek, AA and Larkin will be better. Kronwall and Hank will be effective again if their roles and minutes get reduced. Parting ways with Ericsson and Howard is VERY important this summer. I'd rather one of the kids make a mistake that costs us a playoff game than Ericsson. The kids will learn from it. E just sucks.

[DickieDunn 2,571]

I agree AND disagree. Nyquist and Tatar need to join them as the focus of the next core. This year they were relegated to secondary scoring roles, and that just doesn't make sense for their styles of play and talent level. Tatar was one of the only two players on the squad to reach 20 goals this season (Larkin being the other). He was tied for third in points in the regular season, and he had the most points for us (albeit only three) in the postseason. He needs to be playing top line minutes.

Nyquist is a trickier case, because obviously we know he has the talent to be a top line scorer for us. But something happened to him this season. Based on his last two years of production, I think you have to give him another shot, but with the knowledge in the back of your head that maybe his best seasons were flukes.

A core of Nyquist, Tatar, and Glendening providing a bridge between new core members Larkin, AA, and Mantha and older vets Dats, Z, and Abby (yeah I know he's only 29 but still...) is what we need right now. At the moment we're either too young OR too old. It's time to give the young kids a chance, and that includes making Nyquist and Tatar a central part of the plan, not just leftovers.

A top six next year of: Larkin, AA, Mantha, Nyquist, Tatar, Glendening, with Z/Dats/Abby as a third line and whoever else on the fourth line. That will show us who can actually produce when their names are called.

Glendening is not a core player unless you have a truly abysmal team.

[kickazz 5,459]

I agree AND disagree. Nyquist and Tatar need to join them as the focus of the next core. This year they were relegated to secondary scoring roles, and that just doesn't make sense for their styles of play and talent level. Tatar was one of the only two players on the squad to reach 20 goals this season (Larkin being the other). He was tied for third in points in the regular season, and he had the most points for us (albeit only three) in the postseason. He needs to be playing top line minutes.

Nyquist is a trickier case, because obviously we know he has the talent to be a top line scorer for us. But something happened to him this season. Based on his last two years of production, I think you have to give him another shot, but with the knowledge in the back of your head that maybe his best seasons were flukes.

A core of Nyquist, Tatar, and Glendening providing a bridge between new core members Larkin, AA, and Mantha and older vets Dats, Z, and Abby (yeah I know he's only 29 but still...) is what we need right now. At the moment we're either too young OR too old. It's time to give the young kids a chance, and that includes making Nyquist and Tatar a central part of the plan, not just leftovers.

A top six next year of: Larkin, AA, Mantha, Nyquist, Tatar, Glendening, with Z/Dats/Abby as a third line and whoever else on the fourth line. That will show us who can actually produce when their names are called.

Good post until I read Glendening on top 6... Care to explain the logic here lol.. And please don't say because he wins faceoffs.

Edited April 23, 2016 by kickazz

[Jacksoni 418]

Good post until I read Glendening on top 6... Care to explain the logic here lol.. And please don't say because he wins faceoffs.

Could be his backhand or spin-o-rama move. Those two moves are top 6. Unfortunately not much else. Great shutdown player though, of course.

[wings4thecup06 504]

Just imagine that forward lineup if we could add Stamkos.

On the back end I'd like to see:

Dekeyser-Aquasition

Kronwall-Smith

Green-Marchenko

XO/Sproul

If we can't land a top dman, give Russo a shot. If we do acquire a dman, I'd imagine XO would be traded and Russo be given a year to be the go to guy for the Griffins. Either way, I feel Russo has the best shot at becoming an important part of the defense.

Landing a top dman and/or Stamkos this summer makes the team a contender now. Getting neither I still like the future of the team, even if it means missing the playoffs next season. Blash just gotta put his trust in the kids. That's the key. Sure the streak is good business, but it is also short-sighted. giving the kids the reigns now, win or lose, is a big long term investment. The pieces are there. They just need to play and learn, despite their mistakes. Mrazek, AA and Larkin will be better. Kronwall and Hank will be effective again if their roles and minutes get reduced. Parting ways with Ericsson and Howard is VERY important this summer. I'd rather one of the kids make a mistake that costs us a playoff game than Ericsson. The kids will learn from it. E just sucks.

The problem here is that KH will not have the stones to pull the trigger on a trade that might actually get us that top pair D man - we're not going to get it in free agency, but we do have some pieces to trade. My own personal opinion is that I think KH over values our own prospects and young players, and as such wants to hold on to them as much as possible, instead of trading a few of our expendable guys for someone legitimate that would upgrade the team and help us......

Signing Stamkos would be awesome, but i strongly doubt it'll happen.

[Number19 159]

I dodn't pay much attention to the team stats this season...only two players hit 20 goals?! That's pretty pathetic.

Unfortunately it isn't as rare as you'd think across the league. Goal scoring is almost 2004 levels now.

Edited April 24, 2016 by Number19

[Richdg 267]

Well that lazy over rated "role player" for the Griffins that couldn't help the RW's, has 3 goals in 3 playoff games for the Grifs so far. Mantha, Lil Bert, and McCollum have carried the Grifs to round 2!

[13dangledangle 958]

After watching through all of the wings exit interviews it is more then clear Blash created a horrible problem this past year. Every player seemed unhappy about how they were utilized, also on their own performance but Tatar mentioned how they never gained chemistry because Blash would shuffle too much. I seriously do not know how many times I said this season that he wasn't letting any line get any chemistry because he changed his lines a dozen times in one game.

.....Mantha should have played vs Tampa from the start of game 1. For the lone reason of his size in front of Bishop was enough to bring him up.

[krsmith17 7,191]

I missed the first game, but watched the last two and Mantha looked really good in both. He still coasts a bit, but always seems to find the quiet areas in the offensive zone, which seems to be what all true snipers are able to do. Both of his goals last night were heavy shots, one was a snap shot that went through the net, and the other was a bullet one-timer from the point. As much as I like him as a net front guy on the power-play, with his shot, I'd almost rather see him utilized on the right half-boards. Regardless, there's no question he needs to be a full-time Red Wing to start next season.

Sproul and Russo have both looked really good as well and I hope Sproul makes the team as our number 7 to start next season...

[Richdg 267]

After watching through all of the wings exit interviews it is more then clear Blash created a horrible problem this past year. Every player seemed unhappy about how they were utilized, also on their own performance but Tatar mentioned how they never gained chemistry because Blash would shuffle too much. I seriously do not know how many times I said this season that he wasn't letting any line get any chemistry because he changed his lines a dozen times in one game.

.....Mantha should have played vs Tampa from the start of game 1. For the lone reason of his size in front of Bishop was enough to bring him up.

Ditto. On all of it....

[DickieDunn 2,571]

Well that lazy over rated "role player" for the Griffins that couldn't help the RW's, has 3 goals in 3 playoff games for the Grifs so far. Mantha, Lil Bert, and McCollum have carried the Grifs to round 2!

And Pulk destroyed AHL goalies. I think Mantha will be about as good as Nyquist, but he's not there yet. He wasnt ich more than a PP specialist. Had Trashill used his players better, they could have had a better chance without Mantha.

[krsmith17 7,191]

Had Blashill used his players better, they could have had a better chance WITH Mantha...

[Richdg 267]

And Pulk destroyed AHL goalies. I think Mantha will be about as good as Nyquist, but he's not there yet. He wasnt ich more than a PP specialist. Had Trashill used his players better, they could have had a better chance without Mantha.

There are many differences between Pulk and mantha. The only thing Pulk brings is a great shot. He isn't big, or fast, or very skilled. He is a great shooter. That is easy to stop. Mantha brings much more than Pulk and more than most of our F's. He just needs game time. In a couple of years he will be better than Nyquist because he does so many things that Nyquist can't do.

[marcaractac 3,962]

And Pulk destroyed AHL goalies. I think Mantha will be about as good as Nyquist, but he's not there yet. He wasnt ich more than a PP specialist. Had Trashill used his players better, they could have had a better chance without Mantha.

Pulk is a small player who is easily knocked off the puck. His possession is awful. Mantha has the size and is learning how to use it when it comes to holding onto the puck and making plays. Mantha will be more of an NHLer than Pulk can ever dream of being.

[Jacksoni 418]

Good looking goals from Mantha in the last game of round 1 in the AHL playoffs.

[DickieDunn 2,571]

Pulk is a small player who is easily knocked off the puck. His possession is awful. Mantha has the size and is learning how to use it when it comes to holding onto the puck and making plays. Mantha will be more of an NHLer than Pulk can ever dream of being.

My point being, AHL dominence doesn't always mean a player is a good NHL player. Mantha was not good.