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As part of the 2025-26 season for the Pittsburgh Penguins, they took a flyer on forward Anthony Mantha, who missed most of the 2024-25 NHL season as a member of the Calgary Flames after tearing his ACL.

Mantha has been dogged by a reputation of not always giving a full effort on the ice, and has been made a healthy scratch by more than one NHL head coach during his career. However, he managed to put everything together in his first campaign with the Penguins, scoring a career-high 33 goals and 31 assists for 64 points.

He also helped the Penguins reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2022, though he only managed an assist in six games as Pittsburgh was eliminated in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal by the in-state rival Philadelphia Flyers.

Naturally, Mantha is in line for a raise over the $2.5 million he made on his one-year contract he agreed to last offseason, thanks to his career-high output. But so far, all indications point toward the Penguins and Mantha heading for a split, and a top NHL Insider is revealing the reason why that could be.

NHL Insider Reveals Why Anthony Mantha Likely Won’t Be Back With The Penguins Next Season

According to NHL Insider Pierre LeBrun, the Penguins would have brought Mantha back on another one-year deal, but that wasn’t going to cut it for what he was looking for.

LeBrun wrote:

“Mantha, 31, put up a career-high 33 goals with the Pittsburgh Penguins after playing just 13 games a season earlier with the Calgary Flames. He did have 23 goals in 2023-24 between the Capitals and Vegas Golden Knights, but staying healthy has been the issue over the years for the 2013 No. 20 pick. The Penguins would have brought him back on another one-year deal, but that’s not happening. Mantha’s camp, led by agent Olivier Fortier, will bring his client to market and likely look for a four-year deal. There should be solid interest, given the lack of goals available on the UFA market. I could see Mantha net between $5 million and $6 million per year.”

Additionally, according to Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas in April, all indications pointed toward Mantha testing the free-agent market.

“I talked directly to Anthony in his exit interview,” Dubas said following Pittsburgh’s elimination from the playoffs. “I haven’t had any discussions with his agent. He was pretty clear with me what his intentions are, and I think that’s private and personal for him. It’s not on me to say that here publicly, but we’ll see how all the other things materialize, and then we can always circle back.”

Anthony Mantha Is Likely Moving On From The Penguins

Originally selected by the Detroit Red Wings in the first round (20th overall) of the 2013 NHL Draft, Mantha was dealt to the Washington Capitals in 2021, joining one of Pittsburgh’s longtime rivals. He spent multiple seasons in Washington before later being moved to the Vegas Golden Knights.

The veteran winger then signed with the Calgary Flames in 2024, but his campaign was cut short almost immediately after he suffered a torn ACL in October, causing him to miss nearly the entire season after playing just 13 games.