Toronto Maple Leafs - 2022 Entry Draft - 2nd Rd Pick (38th OA) - Fraser Minten (C)

[thinkblue]

 

[usernamezrhardtodo]

Only 3 players drafted after Sandin have played more games than him, and all 3 play for bottom feeder teams. Sandin the 29th pick ranks 19th in games played ins his draft class.

Hence why I said just Sandin.

 

[zeke]

Hence why I said just Sandin.

Only 17 players from Robertson's draft have played even 40gms in the nhl yet. And none of them drafted after Robertson (or even within 13 picks ahead of Robertson).

 

[Leaf Fans]

BARB is the LIGHTNING coach

She used to be a coach with both Tampa Bay and with Toronto and the Guelph Storm of the OHL. She is retired now. she still consults with Tampa Bay and Guelph though.

 

[IrishInOntario]

How many players that Dubas has drafted are currently helping the Leafs? Seriously...I am not talking about potential guys...but actual guys that are able to contribute to the team right now. He has been the GM for 4 draft years and besides Sandin there is nothing to boast about.

It's a valid question and your point is well taken, but I do expect the following drafted / undrafted guys to start impacting the organization this year and next...

Rasmus Sandin (1st round pick): expecting impact in 2022.

Nick Robertson (2nd round pick): expecting impact in 2022 or 2023.

Matthew Knies (2nd round pick): expecting impact in 2023.

Alex Steeves (Undrafted): expecting impact in 2023.

Pontus Holmberg (5th round pick): expecting impact in 2022 or 2023.

Topi Niemela (3rd round pick): expecting impact in 2023, possibly 2024.

Wildcards: SDA, Ronnie Hirvonen, Nick Abruzzese, Filip Kral, Rodion Amirov (health pending).

That timeline might not work for you, but I do think some quality prospects are coming along. To fill out Toronto's bottom 6 forward group and bottom 4 defense pairings. I also think Knies and Robertson are potential top 6 fits.

 

[notbias]

How many players that Dubas has drafted are currently helping the Leafs? Seriously...I am not talking about potential guys...but actual guys that are able to contribute to the team right now. He has been the GM for 4 draft years and besides Sandin there is nothing to boast about.

Should he stop signing good players so they can break the lineup?

 

[Havoc]

Should he stop signing good players so they can break the lineup?

If it's players like Engvall, yes. Time to give these kids extended runs. We have 4 studs on forward to make up the difference for any growing pains or failures. If it turns out we need an Engvall after all, these guys are dime a dozen at the trade deadline. That 3rd we got from Sens will come in handy there.

 

[uncleben]

If it's players like Engvall, yes. Time to give these kids extended runs. We have 4 studs on forward to make up the difference for any growing pains or failures. If it turns out we need an Engvall after all, these guys are dime a dozen at the trade deadline. That 3rd we got from Sens will come in handy there.

That's why I don't mind that we walk Engvall to UFA with this new deal

If he and the team wants him back, they will figure it out
But he's not irreplaceable and we've got tonnes of kids coming up, cheaper, that can be the next Engvall

 

[CupcakeSprinkles]

That's why I don't mind that we walk Engvall to UFA with this new deal

If he and the team wants him back, they will figure it out
But he's not irreplaceable and we've got tonnes of kids coming up, cheaper, that can be the next Engvall

Yup you dont give out big money deals to non-core players (see Mikheyev)

 

[TheDoldrums]

I didn't realize he wasn't playing high level hockey until he was 14. That's intriguing, feels like it hints at more potential upside if his development path wasn't typical.

 

[usernamezrhardtodo]

It's a valid question and your point is well taken, but I do expect the following drafted / undrafted guys to start impacting the organization this year and next...

Rasmus Sandin (1st round pick): expecting impact in 2022.

Nick Robertson (2nd round pick): expecting impact in 2022 or 2023.

Matthew Knies (2nd round pick): expecting impact in 2023.

Alex Steeves (Undrafted): expecting impact in 2023.

Pontus Holmberg (5th round pick): expecting impact in 2022 or 2023.

Topi Niemela (3rd round pick): expecting impact in 2023, possibly 2024.

Wildcards: SDA, Ronnie Hirvonen, Nick Abruzzese, Filip Kral, Rodion Amirov (health pending).

That timeline might not work for you, but I do think some quality prospects are coming along. To fill out Toronto's bottom 6 forward group and bottom 4 defense pairings. I also think Knies and Robertson are potential top 6 fits.

I think the only guys out of that mix that will be significant contributors will be Sandin (if he stays) Knies and Niemela...other than that I really don't have much confidence in the rest of them. I think Robby is going to be a flop because of injuries and size. He isn't like Caulfield or Debrincat where he can get his shot off quickly and his size won't matter as much. He takes too long to get good wood on his shot and time is not something you get a lot of in the NHL.

 

[WTFMAN99]

I think the only guys out of that mix that will be significant contributors will be Sandin (if he stays) Knies and Niemela...other than that I really don't have much confidence in the rest of them. I think Robby is going to be a flop because of injuries and size. He isn't like Caulfield or Debrincat where he can get his shot off quickly and his size won't matter as much. He takes too long to get good wood on his shot and time is not something you get a lot of in the NHL.

Niemela is gonna be interesting if he can translate to North America, he's gotta have some monster off-seasons to get stronger.

I actually do think Amirov can become a decent middle 6 winger if we can get him serious ice time this year, hopefully his health is improved.

 

[saltming]

BARB is the LIGHTNING coach

No she consults for them and us

 

[Menzinger]

How many players that Dubas has drafted are currently helping the Leafs? Seriously...I am not talking about potential guys...but actual guys that are able to contribute to the team right now. He has been the GM for 4 draft years and besides Sandin there is nothing to boast about.

And while I'd agree Dubas' drafting remains an open story - where only really getting to the point where his first draft - 2018 class - should be looking to make their regular debuts. Itd pretty rare for a 2nd-7th ound pick to become and NHLer before their D+ 3-4 year so the 2019-2022 classes still likely need bit more time cooking

 

[IrishInOntario]

I think the only guys out of that mix that will be significant contributors will be Sandin (if he stays) Knies and Niemela...other than that I really don't have much confidence in the rest of them. I think Robby is going to be a flop because of injuries and size. He isn't like Caulfield or Debrincat where he can get his shot off quickly and his size won't matter as much. He takes too long to get good wood on his shot and time is not something you get a lot of in the NHL.

You don't think a single other player on that list, or in the system, becomes a quality bottom 6 contributor along the lines of a Pierre Engvall, Andreas Johnson, Kasperi Kapanen, Zack Hyman, Justin Holl or Connor Brown type before them? That would require absolute horrible luck on an almost impossible scale.

My argument isn't that all of these guys are going to be stars, only that some of them will be full time contributors on the roster.

Remember your question was "How many guys that Dubas drafted are currently helping the Leafs?"... It wasn't "How many guys that Dubas drafted are stars for the Leafs, playing pivotal roles"... Helping and starring are very different things. My argument is that if you remain patient for a year or two, several of Dubas' draftees / undrafted signings, will be meaningfully helping the Leafs, as regulars on the roster.

 

[I am toxic]

I didn't realize he wasn't playing high level hockey until he was 14. That's intriguing, feels like it hints at more potential upside if his development path wasn't typical.

???

 

[Super Mega]

Barb Underhill works for multiple teams, leafs, bolts, rangers and always has had a connection with the Guelph Storm (where she started, shes also married to the owner)

Don't think outside of Guelph she has ever been full-time employed by anyone

 

[Marlow88]

Barb Underhill is mostly retired, so she can spend more time with her grandkids.

 

[Stephen]

I don't get why the Leafs didn't just triple Barb's salary and keep her away from the Lightning and any other team sniffing around. I understand he's mostly retired now though.

 

[TheDoldrums]

???

In her media availability Wickenheiser said "He’s a really interesting story, having started playing high level hockey at the age of 14, which is very uncommon. It’s a nice story and a message to send to both parents and kids that there’s not one way to do it."

 

[I am toxic]

In her media availability Wickenheiser said "He’s a really interesting story, having started playing high level hockey at the age of 14, which is very uncommon. It’s a nice story and a message to send to both parents and kids that there’s not one way to do it."

Ok, yeah. Before West Van (academy). Spirit Bears is T2, while the others were playing high T1 (BWC, NSWC, Semi).

Like I mentioned in an earlier post, he continues to improve vis a vis his peers. ConnorL was taken in the first round of the Bantam draft while Fraser was in the fourth round of that same draft I believe.

It will be interesting to see where ConnorL will get drafted with a birthday about three months later. Obviously I hope both of them continue to progress well.

 

[CatchyTune]

Growing to like this pick a lot. Wanted a C with our top pick before the draft as we dont have much in the pipeline.

From what im seeing he had low offensive usage and only 14 minutes a game last year? If he gets used as a too line player he should explode in his D+1

Will even try to watch some Blazers games this year.

 

[saltming]

• He finished 7th in the WHL for U18 players in total primary points
• He finished 7th in even strength primary points
• He finished 5th in powerplay primary points
• He finished third in the league for primary points per 60 minutes

So when you adjust for his ice time, he finished ahead of first round picks like Conor Geekie and Reid Schaefer. And you can see how much his production improved over the season. If you divide his whole season in half, you get 42 games. In the first half he had 0.76 points and 2.86 shots per game. In the second half he had 0.93 points and 3.79 shots per game. Was he that much better? Or was he just getting more ice time? That’s the danger in trying to assess or scout a player just by their point totals.

 

[Leaf Fans]

Growing to like this pick a lot. Wanted a C with our top pick before the draft as we dont have much in the pipeline.

From what im seeing he had low offensive usage and only 14 minutes a game last year? If he gets used as a too line player he should explode in his D+1

Will even try to watch some Blazers games this year.

Blazers are the hosts of the Memorial Cup this year, so reason to watch that if you needed one.

 

[hockeywiz542]

Why Connor Bedard is Leafs prospect Fraser Minten’s No. 1 fan

Minten, drafted in July and a former teammate of next year’s projected No. 1 pick, hopes to play for Canada at the next world junior championship in a few months.

www.thestar.com

EDMONTON—Add scout and draft critic to the resumé of Canadian junior hockey star Connor Bedard, who thinks the Maple Leafs got the steal of this year’s draft in Fraser Minten.

Bedard might be biased. The two are good friends and former linemates, for two seasons at West Vancouver Academy before going their separate ways in the Western Hockey League.

“I remember before our bantam season, he wasn’t even really projected to get drafted into the WHL,” says the 17-year-old Bedard, who helped Canada advance to Saturday’s final at the world junior hockey championship at Rogers Place. “He put up, like, 70 points or something like that, so I knew he was going to be the steal of the draft. To see him going as high as he did to Toronto, one of the biggest franchises — he was pumped. It was really cool for me to see that.”

Minten, a crafty centre with the Kamloops Blazers, was the Leafs’ first choice in the July draft, 38th overall. Joining him at Montreal’s Bell Centre that night was Bedard.

“He was obviously a big help in my career,” Minten says of Bedard, “from playing with him and just learning so much from being by his side, and watching how hard he works every day and how much he gives to the game ... So, it was really cool for him to be there and it was really good for him, as well, getting a bit of a look at what it’s like in person prior to (his draft year).”

..................

As for Minten, he was in Toronto this past week working out with future teammates. That was just after a trip to Canada’s summer development camp, in hopes of earning a spot for the next world junior championship starting Boxing Day in Moncton and Halifax.

“That was really an experience,” he says, “my first time getting that opportunity with Hockey Canada. I had a good time personally, and hopefully (I’ll) have a good start to my season and get an invite back for December.”