Anthony Mantha's free agency market is heating up, and the Montreal Canadiens are right in the mix.
A new report says the Canadiens and Philadelphia Flyers appear most interested in Mantha on a smaller term deal, with Toronto and the Rangers also involved.
Mantha just delivered his best NHL season, scoring 33 goals and 64 points in 81 games with Pittsburgh on a $2,500,000 prove-it contract that reset his entire market value.
Montreal finished the season 48-24-10 for 106 points, sixth overall, one of the better years in the organization's recent turnaround.
A short-term deal fits Montreal's timeline well, since the Canadiens are still building around a young core rather than locking in long-term money on a 31-year-old winger this summer.
The post lays out the market plainly, and Montreal's name near the top is already generating real buzz among Habs fans.
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Why Mantha could fit better in Montreal than Philadelphia
Philadelphia finished 43-27-12 for 98 points this season, 11th overall, also chasing a short-term scoring add but without the same youth movement Montreal is building around.
GM Kent Hughes has stayed active reshaping Montreal's forward group, and a cheap, size-and-shot winger like Mantha fits a roster still filling out its middle six.
Coach Martin St-Louis has room in his lineup for exactly this kind of player, a proven scorer who doesn't need a long-term commitment to make an impact.
Montreal and Philadelphia both value what Mantha brings, but Montreal's timeline actually lines up better with where he is in his career right now.
Toronto and the Rangers are still in the picture too, though neither has been connected as strongly as Montreal or Philadelphia so far.
Nothing is signed yet. But if Montreal wants a short-term scoring boost, Mantha's market is exactly the kind worth watching closely.
Should the Canadiens sign Anthony Mantha to a short-term deal this summer?
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