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3 Free Agency Fits for Anthony Mantha
Montreal Canadiens goalie Sam Montembeault makes a save against Pittsburgh Penguins forward Anthony Mantha (Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images)

Free agency day has come and gone, but there are still quite a few key players who haven’t signed with new teams yet, and one of the most interesting is Anthony Mantha. He is coming off the best season of his entire career, and considering there are still teams looking to add scoring depth to their lineup, Mantha is somebody who likely has several suitors.

Mantha, who is 31 years old, played 81 games with the Pittsburgh Penguins last season, scoring 33 goals and adding 31 assists for 64 points. Throughout his career, he has scored 179 goals and added 188 assists for 367 points through 588 games.

There has been some speculation that Mantha is looking for a longer term on his next deal, but most teams don’t seem to be willing to take the risk on him just yet.

In this article, we take a quick look at three potential fits in free agency for Mantha.

Boston Bruins

The Boston Bruins will be looking to make another deep playoff run next season, and with a little over $5 million in cap space, they could afford to bring him in.

After bringing in J.J. Peterka to bolster their top-six forward group, they might be one top-six forward away from being a legitimate contender in the 2026-27 season.

Mantha is someone who is a risky addition to any team, considering he is coming off the best season of his career, which was a significant rise in all of his stats.

The Bruins, though, need to take some risks and try to add some offensive firepower to their lineup. After a disappointing end to last season, the Bruins need to make some additions and add some scoring, and Mantha could be a good fit.

Montreal Canadiens

The Montreal Canadiens are coming off an incredible 2025-26 campaign, and with a young core looking to help lead them to another solid run, they could benefit from adding some scoring as well.

There has been some speculation that the Canadiens would be interested in taking on Mantha on a short-term deal, rather than a long-term deal, making it a stretch that he signs there, but it seems like it could be a logical fit.

In a recent tweet, Marc-Olivier Beaudoin stated that the Canadiens have shown interest in Mantha, but the chances of the two sides coming to an agreement are quite slim.

However, if Mantha bends on his ask a little and is willing to take a short-term deal to try and prove himself again, the Canadiens likely wouldn’t mind adding a little offensive firepower to their middle-six forward group.

Philadelphia Flyers

The Philadelphia Flyers missed out on Leo Carlsson, but they now have plenty of cap space to spend on trying to bring in new players to bolster their lineup as they try to make an even deeper playoff run than last season.

The Flyers seem to want to add some scoring, but like any other team, they would likely prefer to add Mantha on a short-term deal and see how he fits.

If any of these teams are willing to give Mantha at least four years on his next deal, I think he would’ve signed by now, so he will likely have to settle for a one or two-year deal at some point. All three of these teams could benefit from adding a 33-goal scorer to their lineup, but time will tell if Mantha bends on his ask, or if a team gives in and gives him exactly what he wants.

As the 2026-27 season approaches, be sure to continue following The Hockey Writers as your source for news, updates, and more from around the NHL and the hockey world.

This article first appeared on The Hockey Writers and was syndicated with permission.

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