Penguins Should Revisit Mantha at Right Price

The Pittsburgh Penguins should not chase Anthony Mantha just because he scored 33 goals last season. That is how teams get trapped by career years, especially when the player is on the wrong side of 30 and coming his the best offensive season.

They also should not ignore him if the market starts to shift.

That is the balance president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas has to find. Mantha made sense for the Penguins last season because the risk was low, the contract was cheap and the roster needed more size and scoring. That bet worked better than anyone could have expected. Now, the question is whether there is a realistic way to run it back without turning a good one-season story into a long-term mistake.

If Mantha is still looking for a major payday, Pittsburgh should stay away. If the market softens and a short-term deal becomes possible, the Penguins should at least have the conversation.

Mantha’s Market Makes This Interesting

Mantha is still one of the more interesting names on the unrestricted free-agent market. His current contract status shows why the situation is worth watching. He is unsigned after playing last season on a one-year, $2.5 million deal, and his next contract will say a lot about how the league views his career year.

The production gives him a strong case. Mantha finished with 33 goals, 31 assists and 64 points in 81 games, which are career highs and place him among the notable remaining free agents. His regular-season production was not depth scoring. It was a legitimate top-six output.

That is why his market could still be tricky. A pre-free-agency projection from AFP Analytics had Mantha in line for a much larger contract, with a projected four-year deal worth nearly $25.5 million. That type of price would not make sense for the Penguins. A long-term commitment to a 31-year-old winger coming off a peak season would go against most of what Pittsburgh has been trying to do this offseason.

But if Mantha’s market is not actually there, the conversation changes. A short-term deal would not be about rewarding last season forever. It would be about seeing whether Pittsburgh can get another season or two of useful scoring without blocking the larger retool.

Penguins Could Still Use Mantha’s Profile

The Penguins have added forwards, but Mantha still brings something different.

Pittsburgh added Andrei Kuzmenko, traded for Nicholas Robertson, kept Egor Chinakhov, and still has young players like Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen pushing for NHL roles. The forward depth chart already looks crowded, which is the biggest argument against bringing Mantha back.

Still, crowded does not always mean complete. The Penguins have more options, but not all of them bring the same combination of size, finishing ability and veteran scoring history. Mantha is 6-foot-5, shoots left and showed last season that he can play with skilled players without looking out of place. That matters for a team still trying to build enough offense around Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

Mantha’s value is not just that he scored. It is how he fits. His resurgence in Pittsburgh gave the Penguins a bigger winger who could finish chances, help on the power play and create another problem for opposing defenses. That kind of profile is not easy to replace internally.

Kuzmenko can score, but he is not the same type of player. Robertson has shooting upside, but he is still proving what he can be. Chinakhov may be the more important long-term piece, but his breakout still has to carry into another season. Mantha would give head coach Dan Muse another proven offensive option if the price does not get out of hand.

Penguins Have to Protect Young Forward Opportunity

The biggest concern is not money. It is an opportunity.

McGroarty’s roster squeeze already shows how tight the forward picture has become. Koivunen’s uncertain path is another reminder that Pittsburgh has young forwards who need more than vague patience. If Mantha comes back, someone loses minutes.

That is why the Penguins cannot treat this like an automatic reunion. Bringing Mantha back only makes sense if the contract and role are clear. He cannot return as another body in a crowded group. He would have to be a real top-nine winger who gives Pittsburgh enough scoring to justify pushing a younger player down the lineup or back to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

That might be worth it if the Penguins believe they can compete right away. It might not be worth it if the organization wants to prioritize young-player evaluation. Pittsburgh is already walking a difficult line between respecting the Crosby era and preparing for what comes next. Mantha fits the first timeline better than the second.

That does not mean he has no place. It means the Penguins have to be honest about what signing him would cost beyond the cap hit.

Short-Term Deal Is the Only Fit

The Penguins’ cap space gives Dubas enough room to make another move, but available space should not become a reason to spend carelessly. Pittsburgh has flexibility because it avoided some bigger commitments. It should not give that flexibility away unless the deal improves the roster without damaging the future.

That is why the term matters more than anything. A one-year deal would be easy to understand: Mantha would get a familiar environment, another chance to play with high-end talent, and a path to rebuild or maintain his market. The Penguins would get scoring insurance without a long-term commitment. A two-year deal could still work if the number is reasonable and the organization believes last season was more than a one-off.

Anything beyond that should make Pittsburgh uncomfortable.

Mantha’s case has two sides. His career-best Penguins season was one of the biggest reasons to consider bringing him back, but the argument for letting him walk has always been tied to age, injury history, price, and playoff concerns. His regular season was excellent. His postseason did not carry the same impact.

That is why the market has to come to Pittsburgh, not the other way around.

Mantha Could Be a Useful Bridge

The best version of a Mantha reunion is not a long-term answer. It is a bridge.

The Penguins still need time to sort through their forward group. Robertson needs a defined role after his new deal. Chinakhov has to prove his Pittsburgh breakout can last. McGroarty and Koivunen need real development plans. Ben Kindel has to keep growing. Kuzmenko has to show he can be more than a short-term scoring bet.

Mantha could help stabilize the top nine while those questions play out. If he scores, Pittsburgh gets another useful offensive piece. If the team falls back, a short-term Mantha deal could become a trade chip closer to the deadline. That only works if the contract is movable, which is another reason the number cannot climb too high.

A reunion would not be about nostalgia. It would be about asset management and lineup protection. The Penguins know Mantha can work in their environment. They also know what the risks are.

That familiarity has value, but only at the right price.

Penguins Should Stay Patient

The Penguins do not need to rush. Mantha’s market will tell them whether a reunion is realistic.

If another team offers a term and a major raise, Pittsburgh should let him take it. That would be the right outcome for both sides. Mantha earned the chance to see what last season is worth, and the Penguins should not be the team that overpays for the season they already benefited from.

If the market cools, Dubas should be ready. Mantha still fills a need. He can score, he has size, he knows the room and he gives Pittsburgh another proven winger in a forward group filled with both veterans and maybes. The fit is not perfect, but it is real.

The key is discipline. The Penguins should not bring Mantha back at any price. They should bring him back only if the market makes the decision easy.

On a short-term deal, he could still help Pittsburgh. On a long-term one, he could become exactly the kind of contract the Penguins have been trying to avoid.