Fraser Minten is back, baby.
After a four-game stint to start the 2023-24 season, Minten – the Toronto Maple Leafs’ first pick in 2022 – is set to make his return to the NHL. The Maple Leafs called him up in the wake of David Kampf’s injury diagnosis, meaning we could see Minten back in the lineup as early as Wednesday night against Vegas.
Minten started the campaign on the sidelines, missing training camp after suffering an injury during the rookie tournament against the Montreal Canadiens in September. He made his AHL debut with the Toronto Marlies back on Nov. 9, starting a string of four consecutive games with a point. The only time he was left off the board was in a 2-1 loss against Rochester this past Sunday, a game those in attendance considered to be the best game of his season so far.
It’s been a great start to his pro career after bouncing around teams last year. Minten started with the Leafs before getting loaned back to Kamloops of the WHL. He was named captain immediately upon his arrival but only played seven games before he was traded to the Saskatoon Blades in a push to boost the team’s WHL title hopes. The Blades fell short, with Minten registering 19 goals and 38 points in 36 games.
It became clear quite quickly that Minten wouldn’t have the breakthrough offensive explosion many of his peers were. Instead, it was all about being versatile and as useful in as many facets of the game as possible. Snagging a top-six spot in the NHL is difficult, especially as a center. But for Minten, he’s a two-way threat who’s committed to winning every puck battle, and sometimes, that’s what you need the most.
Minten’s play with the Marlies, though, was a great sign. Nobody would have blamed him if he started off slow after missing so much time. But they placed him on the second line with Alex Nylander and Nikita Grebenkin and they immediately found their groove. Playing alongside Nylander, in particular, allows him to lean on a creative, veteran forward to pass to.
“Minten looked so engaged, so focused, so motivated to win a shift,” one scout said about a recent performance while also praising Minten’s foot speed.
Lines at Leafs practice
McMann – Tavares – Marner
Knies – Domi – Nylander
Robertson – Minten – Holmberg
Dewar – Lorentz – SteevesMcCabe – Tanev
Rielly – Hakanpää
Ekman-Larsson – Timmins
Benoit – ReavesStolarz
WollHost Vegas tomorrow @TSN_Edge
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) November 19, 2024
A five-game sample isn’t big. And it’s hard to take much out of development camps and other practice scenarios. Is Minten’s arrival a bit early? Maybe. They already called up Alex Steeves a few days ago. Some sustained consistency at Coca-Cola Coliseum probably would have been in Minten’s best interest. But it’s hard not to be motivated about an NHL call-up, and if he skates with Nick Robertson, as expected, it could be a fun scoring duo deeper down in the lineup. Steeves would be a better choice on the right side than Pontus Holmberg, but, hey, we don’t make the lines.
Minten will have a few days to rest between games, assuming he isn’t sent down before the first meeting with Utah on Sunday. Having Minten up with the big club won’t be a long-term thing – especially once Auston Matthews returns. But his skating and work ethic could really come in handy in the team’s bottom six in the interim.
Minten doesn’t have a game-changing element in his toolkit. He’ll never be a first-liner and he’s not going to lead a power play. Instead, he’ll be a relentless forechecker that brings a level of intensity that’s often missing down the middle for Toronto.
Keep your expectations low. He was never an explosive junior goal-scorer and isn’t a guy you’d throw on the ice late in a must-win game. But what you’re getting is a leader and a workhorse, someone who won’t be satisfied unless his line is more dangerous than the opponents on any given shift.
Minten is at his best when he’s doing the work to make his linemates better. He’s not a game-breaker, no. But he’s a multifaceted forward who can play whatever role asked of him. He should be capable of stepping up higher from time to time if paired with a lethal shooter, too.
Either way, it’s always fun to see a young prospect get a chance – and Minten’s early play this season suggests he’s going to be just fine.
