Fraser Minten
What can we say about one of the Leafs top prospect in Fraser Minten?
Minten previously provided a great first impression last season when he made the team out of training camp. Although he ended up returning to juniors after a brief cameo with the Leafs in 2023-24, his continued growth and development during the past season has made him into an even better player this time around.
Having been forced into action with the Maple Leafs this season when their centres were dropping like flies, Minten has held his own since getting the call back on November 20.
In his eight games of action thus far, he has amassed 2 goals, 2 assists for 4 points including a game-winner, along with 12 shots on goal, a whopping 24 hits and 4 blocked shots, doing it all while averaging close to 13 minutes a game. Not only that, he has been the only Leafs prospect to maintain his spot in the lineup on a nightly basis since his promotion. (All stats from NHL.com and hockey-reference.com)
With that type of production and impact, Minten should have his spot in the Leafs lineup firmly secured right?
Well that depends - the Leafs have a lot of players who don't need waivers and who make a ton of money. Perhaps Minten can force the Leafs to make some roster moves they wouldn't otherwise have considered, but once everyone comes back and there is a log-jam, he's likely to get sent down.