"A lot," said Anthony Mantha, when asked how much responsibility comes with the four-year, $22.8 million deal he signed with the Red Wings on Tuesday.
Responsibility to himself. Responsibility to his teammates. Responsibility to the organization and to general manager Steve Yzerman to fulfill the vision that all of them share.
"Him signing me to a four-year deal tells me he sees me as part of the future, part of the guys that are going to help the team win," Mantha said. "And that’s the pressure that comes with it."
Mantha, who turned 26 last month, has long been viewed as a major piece of the puzzle for the Wings. Yzerman came to the same conclusion in his first season as the team's GM. But that's much different than being a major piece of a puzzle that's assembled, which is the challenge for Mantha starting now.
"From (the deal) Stevie gave me this morning, it’s exactly where he wants to head," Mantha said. "And for me, I’ll have to bring my game to another level and try to help this team win."
For Mantha, that means a lot of things. On the simplest level, it means putting more pucks in the net. He scored 24 goals in 80 games in 2017-18, and he was on pace to score 30 each of the past two seasons. Injuries -- and a global pandemic last season -- held him back. That's healthy production for a forward who was making $3.3 million.
Now that he's among the higher-paid right wings in the NHL, Mantha knows it's time to start hitting his target.
"Obviously (the status of) this season is up in the air, but usually everyone talks about that magic 30, and I think it’s something that’s reachable for me in the real near future. That’s the goal I’m set on right now," he said.
The NHL is a young man's game. This is Mantha's prime. Of the league's top 10 goal scorers last season, only one -- Alex Ovechkin -- was above the age of 30. Eight of the other nine were under the age of 25.
It's also a two-man game, and a three-man game. Of those top 10 scorers, only one -- Jack Eichel -- played on a losing team. The best goal scorers are surrounded by good players. So that's the next piece of the puzzle for Yzerman.
Mantha said the two sides starting talking a few months ago. "Slow talk at first," per usual. Things heated up last month as Mantha's arbitration deadline drew near, and then it all came together, he said, "over the last 24 hours."
Yzerman made it clear this offseason that re-signing Mantha was a priority, and Mantha said he and his agent trusted him from the start.
"Us not filing for arbitration, it was my agent’s call. He told me things are going in the right direction, I need you to trust me, trust Stevie -- he’s a man of his word so we’ll get things done," Mantha said.
A two-year deal was never on the table, said Mantha. Nor was a three-year deal that would have put him on the same schedule as Dylan Larkin, the team's only other player signed beyond the 2021-22 season: "Stevie didn’t want us to hit free agency at the same time."
"For me, it was between a four- or five-year deal," said Mantha. "But I think a four-year brings me to a good age where I could try and sign another four-year, maybe five-year if everything goes well."
It's the big 'if' in all of this, for Mantha and for the Wings. 'If everything goes well,' Mantha will be a leading scorer on a Cup contender when this contract expires. And if that feels like a lot of ground to cover, it is.
It's a reflection of the faith Mantha has in the Red Wings, the same faith Yzerman and the Red Wings are now placing in him.
"We’re going to be contenders at some point," Mantha said. "A rebuild needs a couple years to get there, and then the team is going to be good. And that’s when the opportunity is going to come.
"If it’s year two, three or four, I’ll be around and hopefully I can help this team."