Before Detroit went missing for the first 40 minutes of its game against Carolina, and long before Jeff Blashill tried to explain his team’s least-inspiring performance to date, another topic of concern was orbiting the Red Wings’ morning skate on Monday.



With the team’s winless start finally over, the attention had turned from a team not getting it done, to honing in on particular players — and noticeably underrepresented on the stat sheet had been forward Anthony Mantha.



In what was expected to be a big year for the big-bodied forward, Detroit’s former first-round pick has stumbled out of the gate, including being dropped down to the fourth line nine games into the season. This was a campaign in which many expected he could cross into 30-goal territory, carving out a spot near the center of the organization’s plans. It was only a couple weeks ago that Thomas Vanek was asserting Mantha’s potential, given his size and skill,...