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

[4thline]

Hopefully Stajan and not Stotts

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Not really. 3x goalies were moved out in the last 24 hours so they now have less selection and who is to say if the price doesn’t go up? The whole sequence is a mess.

Yeah seems pretty silly to me to freak out about it on draft day but you know that is just me. If they haven't adequately figured out the goalie situation by August? Yeah sure time to panic.

 

[Stephen]

Yeah seems pretty silly to me to freak out about it on draft day but you know that is just me. If they haven't adequately figured out the goalie situation by August? Yeah sure time to panic.

There’s quite a difference between panicking and critiquing.

 

[ULF_55]

Feeling pretty confident our scouts would not take this guy this high unless they saw some untapped offensive potential. I know nothing about him and I’m going to trust that we know what we are doing

That's what I'm thinking.

I definitely would guess they know a teeny, itsy, bitsy more than keyboard scouts.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

There’s quite a difference between panicking and critiquing.

Whatever word you want to use for it. It is dumb.

 

[Brobust]

So Minten was the guy they were targeting all along and had him in their top 15.

 

[Mess]

Malhotra started with a lot more talent but settled into a role. I guess we’ll see what kind of tools this guy has to work with.

Maybe Leafs are hoping their drafting their version of TB's Anthony Cirelli as a 3rd line checking shutdown centre,

 

[Brobust]

There is no way the leafs have this guy pegged as a 3rd liner if they had in their top 15.

 

[Drew311]

Maybe a Danault at best? Freddy Gauthier at worst?

 

[Ratelleitlikeitis]

We drafted a future #3C

Left Handed C, 6'1" 185 lbs. North-South center with above-average intelligence and defensive abilities. Needs to round out his puck skills and add some finesse, but could become a middle-six forward at the NHL level.

Scouting report​

Vancouver, BC product Fraser Minten has battled to get where he is at. A former fourth-round selection in the 2019 WHL Bantam Draft, Minten has become one of the top players on a highly skilled Blazers roster over the last season. He grew up playing for the West Van Academy. Much like Mats Lindgren, and many other WHL players, this was Minten’s first “full” 68-game regular season. Last season, he was of course forced to play a shortened season due to the COVID pandemic. In just 20 games, he compiled 18 points and was quick to make heads turn in the scouting world.



This past season, he registered 55 points (20 goals, 35 assists) in 67 games playing alongside fellow 2022 prospect Matthew Seminoff and 2023 prospect Connor Levis. Minten was a key component to the Blazers Conference Final run where he amassed 16 points in 17 playoff games. Minten can play all three zones reliably, with his work ethic and intangibles, there’s a lot to like about a player of his calibre.

Over at Smaht Scouting, Matthew Somma talks about Minten’s elite defensive game:


Former Blazers general manager, Matt Bardsley spoke very highly of Minten:


Over at The Athletic, NHL Draft correspondent Scott Wheeler discusses Minten’s game:



One anonymous WHL source had this to say about Minten’s game:


There are a lot of things to love about Minten’s game, and if one thing is going to get him to the NHL, it’s his never quit attitude. He is not only a defensive specialist, much like Colorado Avalanche forward Atturi Lehkonen, but he has that offensive creativity that would allow for him to complete the third or fourth line, as well as assume a role on the special teams. With a number of WHL players available, Minten has established himself as a top-10 player to draft out of the WHL and would be a phenomenal pickup for the Flames.

The numbers​

Minten’s successful season earned him the invitation to the CHL/NHL Kubota Top Prospects game in Kitchener, Ontario this past spring. While he did not register any points, he made himself noticeable shutting down rushes and playing an aggressive defensive game. This past season, his 55 points placed him 5th on the Blazers’ scoring leaderboard, he also tied for fifth in the goals column as well with 20 on the year. On the power play, he had 10 goals and 10 assists, once again pointing to Minten’s ability to play in all situations.

Team Hayes or Team Aldog?

 

[Stephen]

There is no way the leafs have this guy pegged as a 3rd liner if they had in their top 15.

I’m thinking they were hoping for Firkus to fall. That guy would be your classic modern Leaf if there ever was a type.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

Apparently Minten likes to model his game after Horvat, wouldn’t be disappointed at all if he turned into a similar player to him that’s for sure.

You are dreamin huge my friend .. Bo can skate fast .. always was a fast skater since he could piss straight .. folks you need NHL speed to play in NHL

 

[Brobust]

I’m thinking they were hoping for Firkus to fall. That guy would be your classic modern Leaf if there ever was a type.

No, the Blazers pbp guy tweeted last night that Minten was who they wanted.

 

[Stephen]

No, the Blazers pbp guy tweeted last night that Minten was who they wanted.

That is a surprise.

 

[Cap'n Flavour]

Dubas drafts a ppg+ small player and this board is all 'OMG DUFAS DRAFTING SOFT PLAYERS AGAIN"

Dubas drafts a 6 foot 1 center who plays a greasy and responsible game "LOL Dubas wtf is this pick".

What do people want? Big, good skating, high IQ, ppg+ forwards in the 2nd round?

I wanted one of the several higher upside defensemen that went after him, not a guy who projects as a future Riley Nash/Manny Malhotra/anonymous 3/4C you can typically sign for peanuts in UFA.

 

[Nylanderthal]

Maybe Leafs are hoping their drafting their version of TB's Anthony Cirelli as a 3rd line checking shutdown centre,

He’s bigger then Cirelli now today.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Low upside pick. There were much better guys out there.

Defensive specialists who still need a lot of refinement are not high 2nd round picks.

 

[MagicalRazor]

Weird pick most of his rankings where closer to third round , seems a little off. Should have traded back and took something later .

Feels like their guys were off the board and they jumped the gun . I hope the best for him but i dont love it at all

 

[Twine Tickler]

Low upside pick. There were much better guys out there.

Defensive specialists who still need a lot of refinement are not high 2nd round picks.

Yup I totally agree.

I'd much rather strike out in the first 2 rounds going for a skill guy then get 200 games from a Riley Nash type player. Those type of players are readily available in UFA. This pick is extremely odd to me because it goes against Kyle Dubas' historical trends. I cannot remember the last guy he has selected this high with seemingly this low upside. Riley Stotts is the only name that comes to mind. I guess you could say Hirvonen as well, but not really.

It all leads me to believe that the Leafs think this kid has more to give TBH. Especially if they had him ranked in their top 15. They clearly see something in this kid that other teams don't.

I'll be rooting for him, as I do all our selections. But from the outset, I can really only describe this pick as troubling

 

[All Mod Cons]

He's extremely young. Just turned 18 earlier this week. That's good

My eldest is 10. My youngest is 4.

 

[heatersthebest]

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Bob has a good understanding of what teams are looking at, so to see him have him ranked the highest out of the rankings is positive to me.

 

[BayStBullies]

I’m thinking they were hoping for Firkus to fall. That guy would be your classic modern Leaf if there ever was a type.

No chance, this was a targeted pick. This kid is about to explode. Check back in a year.

 

[stickty111]

How do you know he would have been available in the third round when a team picking right after us was high on him?

Makes sense why Leafs picked him here. Sensed likely those 2 teams would pick him.

 

[All Mod Cons]

Judging by his write up and position, I guess the range of possibilities would be Patrice Bergeron-Adam Brooks. We’ll see.

Brooks is probably a good comparison.

So Minten was the guy they were targeting all along and had him in their top 15.

I can 100% see that.

 

[Kiwi]

He seems intelligent and plays a strong 200 ft game

I don't mind this pick, obviously the team knows him better than me and we are sinking a considerable amount of resource into developing puck skills in our prospects

He's going to be an interesting player to follow to see just how much improvement we can get out of guys with this type of skill set, or lack there-of