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In 2020-21 Detroit made a deal that broughtJakub Vrana To Detroit in exchange for Anthony Mantha.
Anyone who was reading at the time knew that I was not a fan of the deal. Then, Vrana exploded. It seemed like he was scoring at will and netted 8 goals and 3 assists in 11 games. Mantha put together 4 goals and 4 assists in 14 games. It looked like Yzerman had gotten well ahead as Vrana was faster, scoring at a better pace, and seemed more fit for the modern game. The attachment to Mantha was that “need the first round pick to work out… syndrome.
The next season Vrana only played 26 games and got 13 goals and 6 assists. Mantha played 37 games and got 9 goals and 14 assists. Even in limited action Vrana was outperforming but cracks seemed to be forming in the foundation. Whatever was going between the player and the management was starting to leak into some of the press. Then, in 2022-23 Vrana played 5 games with Detroit (1 goal, 1 assist) and was put on waivers. He made it through and was eventually traded to St. Louis. This season St. Louis gave him 9 games where the winger scored 2 goals and 2 assists before being waived (unclaimed) to Springfield.
Mantha is still with Washington (though was rumored to be available early in the year) and has 10 goals and 5 assists in 27 games. That’s 1 less goal than he scored in 67 games last year. So, who “won… the trade.
In terms of longevity, Washington still has a player. However, would Detoit have all of Debrincat, Perron, Sprong, and Kane if Mantha had stayed? This is the “butterfly effect… of trades. From a scoring perspective, Detroit seems to be well ahead of where they were. Mantha seems to be finding his footing a bit more in D.C. while Vrana seems to be going through “the cycle….
Overall, Yzerman has done a very good job in turning over personnel and reconstructing the lineup. The defensive and goal tending concerns are being addressed in the long run, but the focuses upgrade on scoring is at odds with the current situation. Many fans are waiting for “tweaks… to the defensive system but they seem slow in coming.
In the end that trade didn’t really go the way Detroit had hoped but potentially opened the space for what has been an exciting duo in Debrincat in Kane. It remains to be seen if the defensive portion of the team game can get the team to its first sub 4 goal win. Regardless, a lot more excitement hits as the scoring has picked up. It may well be a tight finish for the the bubble spots in the Eastern Conference, but in an odd way the trade of Mantha/Vrana helped set the table for a new look offense. Let me know your thoughts in the comments.