Key Maple Leaf Prospect Gives Leafs Fans Reason To Be Optimistic

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Austin Kelly
August 17, 2023 (3:56 PM)

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In the Leafs prospect pool, there is an underrated key addition that could become a major factor for the franchise down the road who is drawing the eye of members of the Leafs organization.

Key Leafs Prospect Shows Key Improvements Throughout The Year

The Toronto Maple Leafs may have found a talented gem in the 2nd Round of the 2022 NHL Draft. Fraser Minten of the Kamloops Blazers has been regarded as a talented prospect who has been applauded by members of the Leafs organization and beyond.

Minten, 19, was taken 38th in the 2022 NHL Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs, their first pick in 2022 after trading G Petr Mrazek and the 25th Pick (Sam Rinzel) to Chicago to Pick 38, in which the Leafs selected Minten. Minten plays as a Center and has a strong, well-rounded game that makes it look as if it very well will be his position at the NHL level. Minten has improved his faceoff taking, making it more likely that his future in the NHL very well could be as a Center, although he does have the ability to play on the wing if needed.

Members of the Maple Leafs have already begun boasting about Minten's talent on the ice, with Toronto Captain John Tavares being one of many to applaud the youngster of his game.

Leafs Assistant GM, Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser, also mentioned in an article from 'The Hockey Writers', that Minten's maturity will help him along at the next level.

He's a very mature kid. He's been a consistent player through the year with Kamloops. He's got a good frame and a good shot. He definitely projects well into an NHL player.

The Hockey News also quotes Wickenheiser as saying that she was impressed by Minten's shot release.

Scouting Report On Fraser Minten

Minten , 6'2 and 192lbs, knows how to use his body well. He's not an overly aggressive or physical player but knows how to use his strength to win puck battles and push through opposing defenses in situational matchups. Minten also possesses good puck awareness, having the ability to control the puck whether as an offensive puck mover or as a defensive shutdown player, an area in which Minten has shown improvement towards in the last few months. He's not an overly flashy player but has greatly improved his ability at finding the net, being a dual-threat goalscorer/playmaker in the WHL.

Minten's offensive totals jumped from a good draft year total of 20 Goals and 55 Points in 67 Games to a very strong 31 Goals and 67 Points in 57 Games for Kamloops this season, his 31 Goals finishing 11th for WHLers in the 2022 NHL Draft, and 7 back fellow Leafs prospect Brandon Lisowsky, who had 38 Goals, but in 8 more Games.

Minten's biggest question marks are his skating, which has shown improvement but can be marked as average, along with a lack of explosiveness to his game, although he makes up for that aspect in a more composed game, which may lend him more useful in a middle-six role than a top-six one. Minten is a potential candidate for Canada's World Juniors Roster next year.

With some of Kamloops top talents now aged out of the roster, including Stankoven, Caedan Bankier & Olen Zellweger, Minten will be playing a large part in Kamloops setup next season, a team that made the CHL Memorial Cup as the host city, and this year will have their eyes set on a repeat without the benefit on home advantage, and to do so, Minten will have to take a big step, but the Toronto Maple Leafs already have belief in what his future brings.