(Arlington, VA) It was back to work day for the Capitals on Monday. For Anthony Mantha, the vacation consisted of a family trip with his partner, their 16-month-old baby, but also his teammates Dylan Strome, Nicolas Aubé-Kubel, Ethan Bear and co.
Conversations are light. Mantha chats with a local journalist about one of his days of golf during the holidays, a vacation a bit shorter than those of his teammates. “Some guys came back on Sunday, but I wanted to come back a day early, the little one [16 mois] had enough, she wasn’t in her environment! »
The team’s head coach, Spencer Carbury, appears dapper in front of the dozen journalists. ” Everyone is well ? Did everyone have a great vacation? “. We thought we heard Michel Louvain at the opening of In a good mood.
Once the formalities were settled, it was a harsh return to reality that awaited the Capitals. They spent the holidays five points out of a playoff spot. They certainly have a few games in hand, but looking at their schedule, one wonders if this is an advantage.
Their match on Tuesday, against the Canadian, will be the first in a series of five in eight days. If the Habs seem viable on paper, they will then face the Panthers, Bruins, Canucks and Avalanche. As of Monday, the top four positions in the overall NHL standings.
“We have to focus on the short term, namely Montreal, and even simply on training today. That said, more generally, we are aware that our margin for error is very slim,” admitted Carbery.
How they perform during this stretch of the calendar could well determine whether Washingtonians are buyers or sellers at the trade deadline. Which brings us back to Anthony Mantha.
Revival of life
Mantha is one of four Capitals players who will become unrestricted free agents this summer, the others being Max Pacioretty, Nicolas Aubé-Kubel and Joel Edmundson. In other words, one of the four so-called rental players, if GM Brian MacLellan closes the door for the season.
It’s going well, because he is experiencing a renewed offensive life this season. His 15 goals in 43 games would allow him to flirt with the plateau of 30 over a full season. In any case, he is on track to beat his personal mark of 25, set in 2018-2019.
This is the best sequence of the Longueillois colossus since his arrival in Washington. Undermined by both injuries and a drop in performance, he did not meet the expectations that came with his contract. Last year, his average of 0.4 points per game was his lowest since the start of his career.
“Last year was difficult, everyone knows that,” admits Mantha. I worked hard, I hired a mental coach and a nutritionist. Mentally, I’m in the right place. I play good hockey. »
The use of a sports psychologist is a first for him. André Ruel, Quebec lieutenant at the CAA agency, referred Matt Calderoni to him. “With him, it really clicked right away,” says our man.
I had to start enjoying hockey again. Last year, it was so hard that I liked playing less. And he told me: every year that you had success, you smiled, you had fun. We had to go find it and it worked. I’m having more fun playing this year.
Anthony Mantha
“It’s not really an overnight thing. It was more in the long term, to seek the joy of hockey. If it’s not fun, it’s not fun. If I tell you: go have fun chopping wood, and you don’t like it, it won’t work! It wasn’t bad just that for me. »
Mantha obviously does not regret his choice, a choice he made in an environment much more aware of the importance of mental toughness.
“Before, guys didn’t talk about it. Those who wanted a psychologist kept that low-key. Today it’s: ah, why not go get help? It’s not that I didn’t feel, but I had to change small things in my attitude. Now I’m having fun. »
Rumors
That’s all well and good, but if the Capitals get scuttled in the next month, Mantha wouldn’t necessarily be easy to trade, due to his $5.7 million footprint under the salary cap. Except that as a 6’5, 235 lb colossus, he could intrigue some GMs who want to add weight to their offense.
Mantha doesn’t think about the transaction rumors “all in all.” »
His head coach, however, specifically cited him as an example, perhaps because he recognized by the accent that the question came from a compatriot of Mantha, who knows.
“No matter what you read, no matter what you think management will do, it doesn’t change anything. Yes, it will change your life. But you have to worry about what you’re doing right now, Carbery explains, as if repeating something he once said to one of his players.
“I’ll give you an example. What can Anthony Mantha, who will become a free agent, do today to have success against Montreal tomorrow? I try to help them with that, instead of them thinking about if this or that is going to happen. I promise you that if you play at a high level, do the right things and compete, good things will happen, whether it’s here, elsewhere, for a short or long term contract. »
Carbery has a good time selling such a speech to his players. The most difficult work falls in the backyard of his CEO, who must manage an aging core that any administrator would normally implode. Except that when the most memorable player in franchise history is part of said core, the decisions are not as simple.