When Anthony Mantha was scratched for the first time with the Washington Capitals back in January, it was a wake-up call. It was difficult to imagine a player of Mantha’s status reaching that low: A 2013 first-round pick who was once a key part of the Detroit Red Wings’ rebuild before the Capitals traded for him two years ago to bolster their own lineup, Mantha was always among the most physically gifted players in any game he played. And he was certainly among the most handsomely paid, carrying an average salary of $5.7 million into this season.
But the wake-up call from this winter lasted months. Mantha, 28, was a healthy scratch for a string of games before the all-star break, and by the time he returned to the Capitals for the second half of the season, his confidence was low. He scored just two goals in his final 28 games. He was demoted in the lineup, and his playing time dipped. He gave up a costly turnover that led to a game-winning goal by Pittsburgh Penguins star Evgeni Malkin in a heartbreaking loss that all but sealed Washington being eliminated from postseason contention for the first time in nine years.
“It was crazy tough,” Mantha said. “Being scratched is hard. … You come back and try to get things going and get your confidence. Sometimes it’s way harder than people can imagine.”
Now Mantha sits at a crossroads. He has one year remaining on his lucrative contract, and while he doesn’t know if he will be moved this offseason, he has vowed to return to Washington for training camp “with some fire just to prove to everyone that I can do the job.”
As Mantha struggled through the scratches this season, he started to work with a mental coach through a company in Toronto. His confidence did return after the first several sessions. Even as he was struggling through one of the most difficult periods of his career, it allowed him to make short-term gains.
“It’s making commitments, making decisions, making goals,” he said, which he hopes will lay the groundwork for the offseason and better equip him for handling the mental rigors of professional hockey next season.
“Players need help with the mental part of the game. It’s hard to handle all the ups and downs,” Capitals General Manager Brian MacLellan said. “You have to be a mature guy to brush some of the stuff off that’s being said about you and come out and compete and get to your highest level. I think various personalities and types of players can handle that better than others. Some need help; some don’t need help.”
Mantha had arrived for training camp last year facing heavy expectations and vowed to play all 82 games. His previous campaign had been marred by shoulder surgery and a lengthy rehab. Mantha started strong, posting three goals in his first five games. But as he struggled through an early-season slump, former Capitals coach Peter Laviolette tried him on different lines and on the second power-play unit, neither of which sparked his game. When he was scratched for the first time in January, Mantha said, concerns about his work ethic and not his offensive production led to the decision. By the end of the season, he continued to take responsibility for underwhelming performance and downplayed any tension with Laviolette.
“I don’t think it’s anything between us. I think it’s just me, myself to blame,” said Mantha, who finished with 11 goals and 16 assists in 67 games. “Maybe my lack of skating or my lack of shooting or my decision-making. . . . It takes a toll on your confidence. And then after that, you’re just looking for your game that maybe’s not present.”
He will spend the offseason trying to rediscover that game. Mantha works out with a group of NHLers over the summer, including New York Rangers star Alexis Lafrenière. He plans to spend extensive time competing in a three-on-three league. And he will continue to work with the mental coach he hired during his difficult season.
“It’s not the season I wanted. I want to come back here and prove to everyone, including myself, that they came to get me for a reason,” Mantha said. “That’s exactly my mental state of mind.”