Maple Leafs forward on the verge of getting traded thanks to the play of one Toronto rookie

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Chris Gerics
September 17, 2024 (8:57)

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The Toronto Maple Leafs are currently in a cap crunch situation, but they can easily alleviate that by getting rid of David Kampf, seeing as they already have his replacement in Fraser Minten.

When Toronto re-signed Kampf to a 4-year extension in 2022 they didn't envision him being the odd one out, but sometimes that's just how the NHL works. He's making too much money to explain his output; even if his offensive production has improved especially since Toronto has a player in their ranks just ready to break out, who does what Kampf can do, and comes at a fraction of the cost.

Enter Fraser Minten. The Toronto Maple Leafs drafted the center with the 38th overall pick in 2022 and the youngster immediately made an impact, finding himself in the starting lineup for the Maple Leafs and playing in 4 games before heading back to the Marlies. He plays a full 200-foot game, can win faceoffs, provides elite forechecking and defensive vision; meanwhile he's got hands and the ability to pour in the goals. His emergence on a line with fellow Maple Leafs top prospect Easton Cowan shows that the chemistry between the two is strong, and gives hope to the future of the team.

Cowan spoke with TSN's Mark Masters about Minten and had nothing but glowing reviews for the Vancouver native:

"He's definitely a pro," gushed Cowan, a first-round pick in 2023, who led the London Knights to the Ontario Hockey League title last season. "He reads. He watches highlights. He stretches. I'll get out of the shower and, all of a sudden, he's on the foam roller that's vibrating the whole time. I'm like, 'What's that noise?' Yeah, like I said, just a pro."

Minten clearly has his priorities in line, and shows the drive and passion he has for not only professional hockey, but for the Maple Leafs. Often times players in Toronto are subject to the tiniest little criticisms, and it can bring uncertainty to the Maple Leafs knowing that their players are going to feel every bit of pressure no matter how small.

It seems though that Minten has a good idea of how to prepare for the spotlight in Toronto, knowing that he has to earn his spot and nothing is given out for free:

"It's just a couple tips on humility," he explained. "The ability to consistently be humble enough to put in effort and not think you've arrived. There's always more to give and just kind of getting into the process rather than results.

Just control the things you can control and, for me, it's work ethic, your compete, your attention to detail," he said. "There's no point in worrying about results or what other people think or what just happened or what's going to happen. Just control what you can control right now."

With Fraser Minten clearly ready for an NHL job, the Toronto Maple Leafs desperately needing to open up cap space, and the fact that he's definitely not getting any younger.

Apologies David Kampf; Your time is up.