The Montreal Canadiens were heavily linked to one of the top remaining free agents this offseason, but a deal never came close to materializing. Now, a Canadiens insider has revealed why the club walked away as the veteran forward found a new home elsewhere.
Insider Details Montreal Canadiens’ Decision-Making on Anthony Mantha
The Anthony Mantha sweepstakes have officially come to an end, with the veteran winger signing a two-year, $9.5 million contract ($4.75 million AAV) with the New Jersey Devils.
The move not only gives New Jersey another proven scoring option but also explains why the Montreal Canadiens, who had been linked to the Quebec native throughout free agency, ultimately stayed out of the bidding.
According to Canadiens insider Marco D’Amico, Montreal’s interest in Mantha never progressed beyond preliminary discussions.
“There was some noise that the Canadiens had interest in Anthony Mantha. Hearing it was not that serious and that a legitimate offer was never placed. Mantha is going to a pretty good situation in New Jersey, who was looking for a top-6 forward this summer.” D’Amico said.
Montreal reportedly had no issue with the financial side of a deal, as the Canadiens still have more than $13 million in available cap space. The sticking point was contract length.
The Canadiens were only willing to offer a one-year contract, while Mantha was seeking longer-term security after enjoying a career-best season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he scored 33 goals and recorded 64 points.
Penguins insider Josh Yohe reported that Mantha had informed Pittsburgh during the season that he was looking for at least a three-year contract extension. “The Penguins didn’t want to give him three years or more. Neither did anyone else, apparently,” Yohe remarked.
Why Montreal Passed on Mantha
Montreal’s reluctance to commit multiple years likely came down to Mantha’s recent track record.
Although he enjoyed a career-high 33-goal campaign last season, it followed two injury-plagued years in which he scored just three and four goals, making last season a significant outlier.
While his 33-goal season was outstanding, it was also a massive outlier compared to his recent history. In the two seasons prior (2023-24 and 2024-25), he struggled immensely, scoring just three and four goals respectively while dealing with injuries.
His shooting percentage also jumped to 21.7%, well above his career average of 13.8%, suggesting his offensive production may be difficult to sustain.
There are also concerns about his playoff performance. During Pittsburgh’s first-round loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, Mantha recorded just one assist in six games and has yet to score a postseason goal in 20 career playoff appearances.
By executing this deal, Devils General Manager Sunny Mehta lands one of the top remaining goal-scorers on the market.
Kent Hughes, meanwhile, ultimately stuck to his long-term plan of prioritizing the youth movement in Montreal, leaving the Devils to reap the immediate benefits of Mantha’s goal-scoring touch.
