Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman said recently he wants Anthony Mantha playing hockey, not sidelined from a fight. His comments prompted a reader to wonder: If not Mantha, who should drop their gloves for the Wings?
Mantha has missed significant time the past two years after getting involved in scuffles. Last season, Mantha spent six weeks recovering from a punctured lung after challenging Toronto’s Jake Muzzin following a legal hit on Madison Bowey. In 2018-19, Mantha missed a month after injuring a hand fighting Patrik Nemeth, then with Colorado, following a legal hit on Dylan Larkin.