Damn Stevie, back at it again with a contract that locks up a cornerstone of the Red Wings rebuild while getting absurdly good value for the team and also locking up the player to term!!! I know we used to call Pavel Datsyuk the Magic Man (insert Step Brothers reference) but we may need to develop some sort of front office style magician nickname for Stevie. Maybe we just start calling Steve, "The Sorcerer" or "The Mage" or my personal favorite "The Wizard from West Bloomfield". This guy just time and time again drops his nuts on the table, and all over the contract papers and signs people for the Wings at incredible value. Getting a guy who would've been damn near a point a game player in a full season this year for less than 6 million AAV is completely unheard of. Not to mention, Anthony Mantha, sadly, is notorious for getting injured and upon his return from said injuries usually goes through like a 5-10 game stretch where he's not really himself again yet. Just going through usually kinks of getting adjusted to the game, warming back up, but once he does he's right back to the point a game guy that he has the potential to be. Imagine a year in which he doesn't get hurt? Who's to say he wouldn't be a 90 point, or dare I say, 100 point guy at his completely maxed out potential? The guy skates, he's smart, he's gonna be playing with our top line guys, and his shot is so nasty that to this day I still get physically ill watching him tuck one where mama keeps the cookies.
Also let me just say that I'm pumped for Mantha too. He seems like a good guy and he's been here through the absolute shit of this rebuild and still was putting his ass on the line for the Wings every night. I'm glad he got the bag and now, fingers crossed, this team is through the worst of it. Hopefully from that 17 win season last year it's only gonna be up and he deserves to be a part of it. Another very, very good move from a Detroit sports team front office which still feels weird to say but man it feels good to have someone with more brain power than a stapler making the decisions in Hockeytown. Wings are so fucking back and to take your mind off the election today watch this video proving why Mantha at less than 6 mil a year is the steal of the century.