Mantha ‘rolling in the right direction’ with Penguins after torn ACL

BOSTON -- There were times Anthony Mantha worried about his future, about whether he would need to sign a professional tryout agreement to remain in the NHL, about whether there would even be teams interested in what he had to offer.

He was grinding through rehab for a torn right ACL, sustained Nov. 5, 2024. He was 30 years old, coming off a lost season in which he was limited to 13 games because of the injury.

He questioned if there would be a future.

"You are wondering, worst-case scenario, what can happen?" Mantha said. "You're kind of mentally preparing for, I don't know, I've been around long enough to maybe get a [tryout] after not playing that many games."

The Pittsburgh Penguins were willing to take that bet.

The Penguins, who had shown interest in Mantha the season before, when he signed with the Calgary Flames, took a flier on Mantha on July 2, signing him to a one-year, $2.5 million contract. They hoped he could be what he had been, a big-bodied (6-foot-5, 240 pounds) forward who had the potential to score in the mid-teens in goals, perhaps reach 40 points at his peak.

Instead, Mantha has exceeded those expectations, with NHL career highs in goals and points within grasp 60 games into the season. His 21 goals are four shy of high of the 25 he had with the Detroit Red Wings in 2018-19, and his 45 points are three away from the 48 had with the Red Wings in 2017-18 and 2018-19.

He'll continue to close in on those numbers when the Penguins host the Buffalo Sabres at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, SNO, SNE, TVAS).

"I think he's attacking the game with the puck, attacking areas," Penguins coach Dan Muse said. "He's putting himself in good positions on the inside, whether it's in the 5-on-5 in the offensive zone or on the power play. He's a big body with really good hands. Good offensive instincts.

"So I think when he's at his best he's getting into those spots, he's making himself available around the net, he's driving play with the puck, driving his legs without the puck, and so I think that's what he's doing at his best."

It's a far cry from last season, those long recovery days, separated from the team, pondering what he had left to give in the NHL.

"Zero fun in that recovery," Mantha said.

The only silver lining in the rehab was that he wasn't alone, with Justin Kirkland having sustained a season-ending torn ACL 24 days after Mantha sustained his. They made the best of it, being on their own, with the trainers for company, while the games and the season went on without them.

"The whole rehab process, mentally, physically, was to get back to the best shape I could be, and this year was to be an impact player for this team," Mantha said. "That’s kind of the mentality I went in with. You kind of grind for 11 months from injury to opening day and you're obviously rusty in preseason games, you're trying to figure things out as quick as possible. When you do, you need to run with it."

He had 11 points (six goals, five assists) in his first 12 games this season, starting to feel good after three or four games. He got the benefit of playing early season games with Evgeni Malkin, a boon for any player, and has built his game since, getting better by the week, the month.

"Things are opening up," Mantha said. "There's a couple nice plays that [Malkin] was making early to make it easier on me and after that, I think it kind of took off a little bit. Mentally, physically, just reading the game differently, the legs feeling better, and things just kept rolling in the right direction."

That has included finding some chemistry of late with Ben Kindel and Justin Brazeau, as the Penguins (31-16-13) roll toward an unexpected spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, sitting second in the Metropolitan Division, seven points behind the Carolina Hurricanes and tied with the New York Islanders.

"He's a really smart player, really good offensively, really good skill," Kindel said. "I think he's just hungry, just like a lot of our team, to have success this year."

But it hasn’t all been seamless.

Asked when he started feeling all the way better physically, Mantha hesitated.

"With an injury like this, it could flare up at any moment, so we're obviously staying on top of everything, taking care of my body, taking care of my legs, extra treatments," he said. "The guys here have been wonderful to give me time for those treatments. Do I think it's 100 percent? Do I ever think it's going to be 100 percent? Probably not. But if it could be 95, I'm taking it."

For now, Mantha is not thinking or worrying about the future.

He has not spoken with the Penguins about another contract, knowing that everyone needs to get through the NHL Trade Deadline, which comes at 3 p.m. ET on Friday, but also knowing he's not worried about a professional tryout agreement for next season.

He feels he's earned a bit of stability.

"That was the mentality I was going in this year with," Mantha said. "Obviously it becomes another prove-it year. I think I am doing things really well. I don't think I'll be looking at an eight-year extension, but hopefully I get a multiyear deal.

"That was kind of my goal over the summer, and it still is. Until I'm able to sign it, I think that's going to be the ultimate goal. Whether that brings me to 33, 34, 35 years old, I mean, it would be awesome."