Undrafted out of junior hockey, Manning attended training camp with the Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Rangers before signing an entry-level contract with the Philadelphia Flyers on Nov. 23, 2010.

The signing came in the middle of a breakout season for the native of Prince George, British Columbia, one when he had 54 points (13 goals, 41 assists) in 69 games for Chilliwack of the Western Hockey League.

A two-year captain with Chilliwack, Manning led WHL defensemen in scoring in 2010-11 with 53 points (21 goals) in 53 games and made the jump to the American Hockey League the following season, playing 46 games for Adirondack. He had six goals and 13 assists and earned a four-game look with the Flyers in March.

The Flyers recalled Manning for six games in 2012-13 and he got his first NHL point, an assist against the Rangers on April 16, 2013. He played 11 games for Philadelphia in 2014-15, getting three assists.

Manning played 60 games with Lehigh Valley of the AHL in 2014-15, when he had an eight-game point streak from Nov. 14-29 and finished tied for fifth in the league with 231 penalty minutes.

Manning became a regular in the Flyers lineup during the 2015-16 season, appearing in 56 games and getting seven points (one goal) while working mostly alongside Radko Gudas on the Philadelphia's third defenseman pair.

Manning scored his first NHL goal March 21, 2016, when he beat Thomas Greiss of the New York Islanders. He had one assist in six Stanley Cup Playoff games.

The following season, Manning had 19 points (seven goals, 12 assists) in 65 games to help the Flyers reach the playoffs again. He agreed to a two-year contract with the Chicago Blackhawks on July 1, 2018 and had one goal and two assists before he was traded to the Edmonton Oilers on Dec. 30.

Manning scored one goal in 12 games for the Oilers and was placed on waivers Feb. 18, 2019 and reassigned to Bakersfield of the AHL.