OT: Wings trade Mantha for a #1, a #2, and 2 other forwards

Submitted by mgoblue0970 on April 12th, 2021 at 4:01 PM

In case you didn't catch it, and with the Wings in the cellar, it's quite possible, but today is NHL trade deadline day...

The title says most of it.  Stevie Y just worked some magic and sent Anthony Mantha to the Washington Capitals for:

F Jakub Vrana
F Richard Panik
2021 1st Round Pick
2022 2nd Round Pick

Jakub Vrana in particular has a ton of upside and was the 13th overall pick in 2014.  He has more goals than Mantha this season as well.  LOL!

The Wings now have a ridiculous amount of picks in this year's draft -- 12!  ...and close to that in 2022.

 

UMAmaizinBlue

April 12th, 2021 at 4:08 PM ^

Good for Mantha. His talent will help Washington and he'll be on a playoff team with a good chance at winning the Stanley Cup. I just hope that the picks we get go towards the Wings being contenders again - it's a rough time to be a Wings fan.

Robbie Moore

April 12th, 2021 at 4:33 PM ^

Mantha has enormous talent but a questionable compete level. This issue came up when Jimmy Devellano called him out back when he played in Grand Rapids. Right up to this year when he was benched by Blashill for two games.

This was a great trade. Panik is a journeyman. Vrana is a year younger than Mantha. And he has outscored Mantha (three year average) 41-37. We move on from a guy who needs an attitude adjustment. Pllus we get a first and a second. 

Nice move Stevie! May the Wings get fortunate and draft Beniers.

MgofanNC

April 12th, 2021 at 9:30 PM ^

I agree with everything, but on the work ethic/hustle issue I am somewhat willing to give him a pass. I think he is a tremendous talent who is just watching is career get wasted on a team on the decline and then wallowing in a rebuild for several years. Not saying that excuses his lack of hustle or whatever, but I think it helps contextualize it some. I'm sure he's not lamenting the move to a serious contender, the Caps are in Win Now mode while Ovi still has some years left, and we need all the draft capital we can accumulate. Great move for all parties I think. 

mgoblue0970

April 12th, 2021 at 6:44 PM ^

+1 for Dombrowski... sure he had the benefit of Mr I.'s checkbook but he also convinced FAs to come here. 

Signing Ivan Rodríguez and Magglio Ordonez enticed talent to come here and started that run.

Plus vis-a-vis Ken Holland, Dombroski won after Detroit.  Holland won't.

ak47

April 12th, 2021 at 4:19 PM ^

Vrana is an RFA so Wings will have to pay to keep him and the Caps weren't going to do it. Panik is a salary dump. Think Detroit won the trade but makes sense for both teams

JonnyHintz

April 13th, 2021 at 10:02 AM ^

The Wings wouldn’t determine the cost. The Wings simply offer a “qualifying offer” at the same salary they made previously. 
 

Other teams can then offer contracts to the guy, and the value of THOSE offers determines the return compensation if the Wings let the kid walk. The Wings could still match the offer of the other team and keep him though. 
 

But it’s up to opposing teams to determine what he’s worth and what they’re willing to give up to get him.

Don

April 12th, 2021 at 4:42 PM ^

"The Wings now have a ridiculous amount of picks in this year's draft -- 12"

I don't know anything about the NHL draft but that seems like a good number of picks to have in one draft in any sport.

JonnyHintz

April 13th, 2021 at 9:51 PM ^

NHL draft is set up the same way as the NFL draft. 7 rounds. What is really intriguing about the Red Wings picks is that they now have two 1st round picks, three 2nd round picks, and two 3rd round picks.
 

So over half of the 12 selections will be in the first three rounds of a very deep draft. Yzerman has plenty of opportunity to add some quality players in this draft, and hopefully can add some elite talent at the top of the first round. 

Swazi

April 12th, 2021 at 4:43 PM ^

Makes no sense on the Caps side.  Vrana is a year younger, has the same amount of goals in fewer games, and is also still under club control (he's an RFA this offseason). 

They must've been desperate to dump Panik and Y squeezed them.

ak47

April 12th, 2021 at 5:20 PM ^

Vrana has a bad habit of not impacting meaningful games in any way, hasn't put in any work to take the next step and is Lavs doghouse so wasn't going to get matched this year and wasn't going to be on the Caps next year anyway. They get a guy who has a fair amount of talent that still has three years left on his deal