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Get to know a prospect -- Anthony Mantha

Anthony Mantha

Leading up to the 2013 NHL Entry Draft in New Jersey, we’ll be profiling top prospects who may hear their names called Sunday in the first round. Nothing too in-depth. Just enough so you know who they are and what they’re about.

Anthony Mantha (RW)

Height: 6'4" Weight: 190 Shoots: Left

Team: Val-d’Or Foreurs (QMJHL)

Country: Canada

NHL Central Scouting ranking: 10th ranked skater in North America

What kind of player is he?

The million dollar question for Mantha is figuring out just what kind of player he’s going to be. This season he scored a career-high 50 goals and 89 points for Val-d’Or. His 50-spot led the QMJHL in goals but there are some who believe he can’t bring that kind of production to the next level.

His offensive game goes unquestioned (hey, 50 goals will do that) but questions have been raised about his eagerness. The offensive numbers and talk about how good his shot is are hard to ignore. Are the questions about the “fire in his game” enough to keep him down in the first-round? Stranger things have happened (remember Zach Parise’s slide to 17th overall in 2003?) but one stinging critique of his game has seen him compared to Benoit Pouliot.

Quotable:

“Love him when he has the puck on his stick. I’m not his biggest fan when he doesn’t. Looks like a boom or bust guy to me.” -- Mark Edwards - HockeyProspect.com

“Big stud that can skate, hard to handle, can dominate. Long stride, soft hands, not physical, great feel, didn’t do enough in Halifax, needs to be WAY more physical.” -- Mark Seidel - North American Central Scouting

“He’s a big kid with a lot of skill. He has everything you need to succeed -- he can skate, he’s smart, he reads the play, he has everything. He might need to work on his defensive game, but he can be taught that. You can’t teach talent like he has, or hands like he has.” -- Chris Bordeleau - NHL Central Scouting

For more 2013 NHL Draft previews, click here