The Devils found their new addition in right wing Anthony Mantha, who signed a two-year, $ 9.5 million contract to move to New Jersey.
The soon to be 32 year old Mantha is coming off the best season of his career, scoring 33 goals with 31 assists (both career-highs) with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Devils will be the sixth team for Mantha (Detroit, Washington, Las Vegas, Calgary, and Pittsburgh) after a career that has been solid but somewhat disappointing for a player with his size (6'5 240 pounds) and skills.
A first-round pick by Detroit in 2013, Mantha looked to be a potential star when he notched 48 points in back-to-back seasons with the Red Wings, but until his one season with Pittsburgh, Mantha never lived up to his potential.
Mantha has good hands, is a strong skater, and plays with more finesse than a player of his size should; he is likely to be on the first or second line next season.
If Mantha can match his production with the Penguins, the Devils may have found exactly the player that they needed on the wing, but it's fair to question if Mantha isn't coming in at his highest value after a career season.
I'm tentatively optimistic with this signing, but it could go either way.
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