So... About The Draft: Anthony Mantha

The NHL entry draft is on June 30th. The Habs currently hold the 25th overall pick. Who are the options? Honestly, there are so many possible picks, and this draft year is filled with talented youngsters. I will try to cover as many as I can. First up: Anthony Mantha!

This one seems to be standing out more and more recently. Born on September 16th 1994, he was ineligible for the 2012 due to the cutoff date being September 15th. That may be a good thing for him. Let me elaborate using some stats:

2011-2012 Season: 63gp, 22g, 29a, 51pts, +/- of -11, and 39 pims.
2012-2013 Season: 67gp, 50g, 39a, 89pts, +/- of +21, and 71 pims.

Decent improvement if I do say so myself. The points are great and all, but what impresses me is the +/- category. He improved that facet drastically, leading me to believe he is better defensively than he was last year, which is great for him. That is sure to increase his value. He's got a big frame at 6'4 201 lbs. We have all seen cases where players have size, but do not use it, however that is not the case with Mantha. He uses his large frame in his gritty style, without necessarily relying on it; He is versatile in that he also possesses a great shot. The combination of size and skill led him to being the top goal-scorer in the QMJHL this past season with the Val d'Or Foreurs. He has shown tremendous skill this past season, and that has given NHL Central Scouting reason to rank him as #10 of the North American prospects.

On an interesting side note, Mantha's grandfather won stanley cups with Montreal between 1957 and 1960. Either way, anything can happen in the draft, but I'm expecting this kid to go Top 15. With the Habs having the 25th pick, it is hard seeing Mantha get picked by Bergevin and Timmins, but once again: anything is possible. After all, Montreal picked up Sebastian Collberg with the 33rd overall pick, a guy who was ranked #3 in Europe by NHL Central Scouting, and was expected to go to top 15.