DETROIT – Despite some criticism and inconsistency in his first pro season, Anthony Mantha remains as confident as he was the day the Red Wings selected him 20th overall in the 2013 NHL draft.
Last September, Mantha suffered a fractured right tibia during the NHL Prospects tournament in Traverse City. He turned in his hockey stick for crutches, missed the Wings’ main training camp, and his first pro season spiraled into adversity.
He was widely considered a lock to make his NHL debut in a Wings’ sweater as a roster call-up last season.