Why Detroit Red Wings' first game against ex-teammate Anthony Mantha 'will be strange'

Teammates come and go in prosports but Dylan Larkin admits that playing against Anthony Mantha for the first time will be a little odd.

They often formed two-thirds of the Detroit Red Wings’ top line before Mantha was dealt to the Washington Capitals at the trade deadline last season. The Wings will play at Washington for the first time since the trade on Wednesday.

“It will be strange,” Larkin said. “I’ve talked to him. He was back here in the summer, training here. I expect him to be highly motivated and when we’ve seen that out of him, we know he can be a dangerous player.”

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Mantha produced eight points in 14 regular-season games for the Capitals last season and had two assists in the first-round playoff series loss to Boston. He has contributed two goals and two assists for the 4-0-2 Capitals this season.

The Wings acquired Jakub Vrana, Richard Panik, a first-round pick in this year’s entry draft and a second-round pick in next year’s draft for Mantha. They packaged that first-rounder, the 23rd pick, to Dallas to move up to the No. 15 slot and draft goalkeeper Sebastian Cossa.

Vrana has been sidelined this season by a shoulder injury. Panik is no longer with the team.

“Big ones like that, they’re shocking to the guys in the room,” Larkin said of the trade. “It wasn’t going too well for many guys last year, so he’s excited about his opportunity there and we’re excited to have Jakub.”

With the time that has passed since the trade in April, coach Jeff Blashill doesn’t believe it will be an overly emotional game.

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“It’s not like it’s the next week,” he said. “Certainly, he was a big piece of our group and a really good friend to a number of our players. That’s always different for those guys but it’s a new season.”

Raymond plays beyond his years

Lucas Raymond will be playing for the first time since notching his first career hat trick in the 6-3 win over Chicago on Sunday. The 19-year-old has seven points in six games playing on the first line with Larkin and Tyler Bertuzzi.

“Doesn’t seem like a 19-year-old to me,” Larkin said. “He’s mature beyond his years. I feel like when I was 19, I made a lot of mistakes. I was skating 1,000 miles an hour. I had a lot to learn. Lucas seems like he plays on the right side of the puck. He doesn’t cheat much, which is a big value here. He plays the right way and he gets rewarded for it.”

Other lines seek more production

While the first line has been highly productive, the Wings would like a more balanced offense. The second line of Pius Suter, Robby Fabbri and Filip Zadina has produced only two goals. Suter, who had 27 points in 55 games as a rookie with Chicago last season, is still seeking his first point as a Red Wing.

“They just have to stay with it and work to continue to build up their own production,” Blashill said. “They can be a really good line.”

Vladislav Namestnikov has three of the four goals on the third line, playing with Adam Erne and Michael Rasmussen. They’re often matched up against the opponent’s top scoring line.

“They’re playing in their own end a decent amount,” Blashill said. “It’s important not to judge solely on production. They bring other things to the table.”

Hronek getting teammates' support

Defenseman Filip Hronek has been a healthy scratch the last two games and his teammates are trying to keep his head up. Larkin says he talks to Hronek on a daily basis.

“He’s a well-respected in the locker room,” Larkin said. “The guys love him. We want to be there for him. He’ll show up for us, we know that.”

Hronek might return to the lineup on Wednesday. Gustav Lindstrom is scheduled to not play with an undisclosed injury.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings' first game vs. Anthony Mantha 'will be strange'