The Ottawa Senators have already handled their most important piece of internal business by bringing back Claude Giroux. Now, as the second week of NHL free agency begins, their attention should shift toward adding another impact forward. That is where Anthony Mantha should come in.
With Giroux back in the fold, the Senators can move forward with a little more certainty in their top nine. But if Ottawa wants to take another real step after getting back into the playoffs, it still needs to find more size, scoring and finishing ability on the wing. Mantha checks all three boxes.
Mantha is coming off the best season of his 11-year career. He posted 30+ goals for the first time (33 to be exact) and topped 60 points as well (64) while playing 81 games for the Pittsburgh Penguins. That's the type of production the Senators could use, someone that brings a legitimate scoring threat to their top six group.
AVERY HAYES HAS TWO IN THE FIRST PERIOD OF HIS NHL DEBUT!!! 🤩
— NHL (@NHL) February 6, 2026
And how about that pass by Anthony Mantha?! pic.twitter.com/nDzcbY5b34
He also brings a ton of size. At six-foot-five he would be the type of big-bodied winger the Sens have been searching for who can create tons of problems around the opposing net. He managed seven goals and six assists on the power play as well, giving the team another option to get him more opportunities to score. He could slot in on the wing on a line with Dylan Cozens and Drake Batherson, while moving Ridly Greig down to the third line with Claude Giroux.
There's no guarantee that Mantha can replicate his 30 goal output from a year ago, but by giving him a top-six role the Sens would look a lot deeper up front to begin the season. There is concern about his 21.7 shooting percentage which is well above his career mark of 13.8, and maintaining that shooting percentage is probably unreasonable.
He'll also be looking for a raise on his $2.5 million salary from last year, possibly in the $5-6 million range, and that could price the Senators out of the running for his services. They have approximately $4.2 million left to spend after the Giroux deal and they might not be looking to allocate all of it in one deal at this time. But this is the kind of gamble the Sens might need to make in order to keep pace with the rest of their division.
Signing Mantha gurantees he doesn't make a division rival better
The Toronto Maple Leafs have made some moves both on and off the ice that have frustrated Sens fans. From getting the first overall pick in Gavin McKenna, to signing goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and and trading for former Sens' forward Nick Paul, the Leafs are, on paper, a much better team than they were a year ago. Plus they just grabbed Senators icon Daniel Alfredsson and added them to their coaching staff in an absolutely nauseating move for this fan base.
And they might not be done. A guy like Mantha would be right up their alley as they look to continue adding depth to their forward core. Meantime, the Buffalo Sabres are also in the rumor mill of looking at Mantha and that's why the Sens should probably jump before either of their division rivals do.
We're in the second week of free agency and while there are still plenty of notable players on the market, Mantha might be the one big fish the Sens could land that could be a real difference maker.
Add us as a preferred source on Google