The Toronto Maple Leafs: Keeping Minten Was The Right Call

Rest assured, before the Toronto Maple Leafs started their preseason they were not expecting a couple of teenagers to turn heads and make a serious run at earning a roster spot.

The Toronto Maple Leafs likely expected both Fraser Minten and Easton Cowan to make an appearance in a game or two, get a taste of NHL hockey, and then return to their respective junior teams.

Then, the games started and everyone surrounding the Leafs took notice of their performance. Both players earned extra game appearances as other challengers for roster spots were assigned elsewhere.

Ultimately, the play of Minten, in particular, left the Leafs with a hard decision to make when filling out their final roster in preparation for their season opener against the Montreal Canadiens.

Toronto Maple Leafs: Keeping Minten Was The Right Call

The Leafs moves, as the roster deadline approached, gave an indication of which way they were leaning.

Sam Lafferty was traded to the Vancouver Canucks. This transaction would help the Leafs become salary cap compliant if they chose to fill his spot on Minten’s entry-level salary.

Another indicator of the Leafs affection for Minten’s play came from head coach Sheldon Keefe. He constantly praised the young prospect’s efforts, while acknowledging the predicament of the Leafs salary cap situation.

The Leafs confirmed on Monday that Minten had made the big club to start the season.

It was the right call.

It is refreshing to see a player kept on a roster because he earned it. The Leafs, at least for the time being, avoided taking the easy way out.

It would have been less complicated to return Minten to junior to further his development. No one would have batted an eye at this decision.

The Leafs could have taken the safe route and kept a more veteran player. The problem with this is other players know who should or shouldn’t make a team, especially when it is evident based on a player’s performance.

The players now see that Keefe and general manager Brad Treliving have the team’s best interests in mind by icing the strongest team possible, regardless of other extenuating circumstances.

Minten left no doubt he deserved to make the team. He outplayed others and responded to every challenge put in front of him.

Of course, the Leafs might still decide to end his time with them before burning a year of his service time on an entry-level deal.

It’s now up to Minten to prove he deserves to stay. He has the next nine games to do so and the competition will get more difficult as the season begins.

The Toronto Maple Leafs did right by giving him that chance.