Calgary Flames announce heartbreaking injury outcome for veteran forward

This off-season the Calgary Flames signed Anthony Mantha to a one-year deal, and after he was moved at the deadline a year ago, they were likely looking to flip him as well.

Unfortunately, his season is now over before it could truly get going after the team officially announced that he has a torn ACL and will now undergo season-ending surgery.

This is a brutal outcome for the 30-year-old forward who was coming off one of the better seasons in recent memory, and with 4 goals and 7 points in 13 games played, he was showing the spark that once made him a very solid top-six forward.

For the Flames, this is a very tough situation, as they wanted Mantha to continue their push to the Stanley Cup Playoffs and potentially to flip him for significant assets at the trade deadline.

In Mantha's place, the team has heavily pushed young forward Matt Coronato, who was called up to the NHL after Mantha's original designation to Injured Reserve, and the team will get an extended look at another young name now that he will be out for the season.

Unfortunately for the former first-round draft pick, this is another tough injury after he fought so hard to stay healthy over the past two years, but after injury issues plagued his early career, it's tough to see him getting back to 100% anytime soon.

We wish the best for Mantha and hope that this isn't the end, as he was showing plenty of offensive spark early in the year for the Flames, and if he can get back to 100% with a good recovery, he could still be very effective in the NHL for years to come.