Penguins' Anthony Mantha $24 million contract update comes on eve of free agency

Anthony Mantha has a decision to make.

So do the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Mantha is a free agent, and the Penguins could let him walk or sign him.

For what it's worth, The Athletic's Chris Johnston projects Mantha to get a four-year contract worth about $24 million in total value.

If that's the cost, Pittsburgh should at least be in the running. They have just about as much cap space as any team in the NHL entering free agency.

The Penguins already made one notable move with their own players when they re-signed Evgeni Malkin.

Will they bring Mantha back? There's certainly a case to be made.

"Mantha signed a prove-it contract with the Penguins last summer after recovering from a torn ACL in his right knee, and he proved it in a big way," Johnston writes. "Long viewed as a dangerous scorer with an excellent shot who struggled to put it all together, Mantha struck for a career-best 33 goals and 64 points. The only sour note came from a rough playoff performance, which included just one point (an assist) in six games, but that shouldn’t overshadow the fact that Mantha reestablished himself as an offensively gifted winger."

Johnston ranks Mantha as the No. 5 available free agent in his new rankings of the class. A lot of players have already signed contracts with their current teams, or had their rights moved in sign-and-trades.

A guy like Mantha can still help a team, whether it's the Penguins or another squad.

It'll be a not-unseemly cost, and it's worth considering for Pittsburgh as free agency opens on Wednesday.