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

[SprDaVE]

Some nice clips from Nick to give you an idea. I think he's the player a lot of people want more on the team.

 

[keonsbitterness]

His 2022 playoff stats were better than his regular season, FWIW.

 

[acrobaticgoalie]

Better than asking him if he was a tree, what kind he'd be lol. That's actually a fairly interesting insight into the Leafs interview process

I heard an interview on I think TSN 1050 once where they were talking about Abruzzese at Harvard and they were saying the Leafs did the same thing in his interview and he displayed off the chart hockey IQ. Hoping that shines through this year in his first year of pro.

 

[HockeyVirus]

AS for his skating, usually the Leafs are picky of what the issue is. They like players with good edges who can move in traffic, but might lack explosiveness or top end speed. The thought is they would have good fundamentals with room to improve straight line speed. This has been their picks with Sandin, Robertson, Knies, and now Minten.

 

[The Masters]

pickering

 

[acrobaticgoalie]

Not a fan of the pick TBH. It's just too Frederic Gaulthier like IMO. I am a firm believer in drafting skill and teaching systems/intelligence. If you look at Nazem Kadri for example, he is a prime example of a player who has adapted his game from just skill to a 200 ft game.

Of course Hockey IQ is something that is a major asset, but it is extremely hard to learn skill.

I have faith in our scouting staff, and I very rarely have questioned their judgement under Dubas, but this just seems like a miss IMO.

Hopefully I am wrong!

Welcome to the buds Fraser!

Maybe the scouting staff sees something that indicates he could break out offensively next year? He played 2nd line, so maybe they see him as the guy next year with the older guys moving on. He probably was tasked with all the tough matchups and will have more of an offensive role next year.

Sounds like he's got the tools with the IQ, skating and shot, so maybe we see a Robertson type breakout. Also very young. I like that the scouting reports say he's got a good motor. It's been a common trait in a good amount of the kids we've drafted the last few years and could definitely use more of that on the Leafs.

 

[fahad203]

I really wish this kid the best. But to say I am not dissapointed will be an understatement

You can turn a goal scorer into a checking player. You can't turn a checking player into goal scorer though

Considering Sykora, Goyette, Salomonsoon and Trikozov were still on board, you had to take a fly on those players

Sure he can turn out to be a superstar but there's nothing right now that says so

Also, if you wanted to pick up a checking center, why not just take the free agency route. Just go get one

Dont' we have few players already in our system who fits that role. Abrruzze, Anderson, Hirvonen and Tveberg?

But I am no pro scout...

 

[acrobaticgoalie]

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

You had me curious. Cirelli only had 36 pts in 58 games in his draft year. Would be thrilled if he becomes a Cirelli type player.

 

[D00bis]

He’s not 5’11” so there’s that lol

 

[jaric1862]

Who did you guys want with this pick instead?

 

[Brobust]

EliteProspects write up on Minten:

For the better part of two seasons, Fraser Minten’s game was a collection of interesting tools, but lacked the glue to hold them together. He showed shooting, passing, handling, and physical skills, but always independently. Well, that was until the final few months of the season, where everything came together into one skilled, violent package.

Shooting and physicality are Minten’s defining skills. A powerful one-timer, a smooth curl-and-drag wrister, and twotouch wristers make him equally effective shooting in space as he is under pressure. While he lacks the off-puck timing characteristic of NHL finishers, he shifts between the net front and outer slot to maximize his odds of getting a feed.

Early in the season, Minten’s physical game was limited to thunderous hits. Towards the end, he cranked the violence dial up, while also showing a projectable board game. When the defender leans on him, he cuts back into space. He uses punch turns over either leg to find separation, doesn’t needlessly cycle the puck, and drives play to the inside when possible.

Passing growth will determine Minten’s NHL upside. “He slips pucks through defenders, sauces them over sticks, and even pre-scans to make one-touch plays off the boards or cuts back and finds a better option,” Elite Prospects Dir. of North American Scouting Mitch Brown wrote in a late-season game report.

 

[TheScandal89]

Please pan out, I have no judgment on him because I paid no attention to this draft thinking we wouldn't have any picks. Then when we kept it, I really only wanted Owen Pickering with our 1st pick.

I regret wasting my Thursday night to watch the draft only to find out after 2-3 hours we traded the pick lol

 

[I am toxic]

Here’s my take.

Fraser has always been good relative to his peers and kids a bit older than him, but more importantly he has always been getting better relative to those same peers.

Going back to when he was an 8 year old at the NAHC and his coach underutilizing him during the gold medal game (which they lost) or am I mixing him up with Blake?, to his time with the Spirit Bears and on to the academy where Jon naturally paired him up with Bedard, benefitting both of their games.

Then moving on to the Blazers where (imo) he began to surpass Connor (Levis) for the first time since I had seen - and briefly coached - them together when they were much younger. (as an aside, keep an eye on this Connor as well for next year’s draft in the later rounds).

Being the first pick for the most scrutinized team in the league is tough, beyond tough. But I don’t buy the comments about his skating – for example, anyone who suggests Bo Horvat was a great skater entering the league is completely out to lunch, being unaware of the concerns with his first step and the incredible work he and Kathy did to turn that from a weakness into a strength.

And unlike some others I have watched and coached over the years, I believe that Fraser will continue to develop offensively relative to his peers, barring injury of course.

He’s a 38th OA. Expectations should be tempered, but sadly we all know that they won’t be, in the TO market. I assume the chances of 38th OA’s making an impact in the NHL is quite low. The optics of being taken sooner than draft lists had him ranked are unfortunate. I agree with those who say high risk/ high upside should be drafted in the first couple rounds, something that the scouting reports don't attribute to Fraser.

It will be interesting to see how he develops relative to who was picked from 25th to the end of the third round. Obviously I hope Fraser surprises with how much upside he has. And now I have a second reason to root for the Leafs. God help me.

 

[Tarmore]

Please pan out, I have no judgment on him because I paid no attention to this draft thinking we wouldn't have any picks. Then when we kept it, I really only wanted Owen Pickering with our 1st pick.

I regret wasting my Thursday night to watch the draft only to find out after 2-3 hours we traded the pick lol

Do the PVR thing.

I have for several years. Still have the one where we drafted Austin from. Anyway it's very easy to just scan through all the needless chatter and get to the players drafted OR just scoot to the Leaf draft picks and trades announced (which is mostly what I do).

 

[TheScandal89]

Do the PVR thing.

I have for several years. Still have the one where we drafted Austin from. Anyway it's very easy to just scan through all the needless chatter and get to the players drafted OR just scoot to the Leaf draft picks and trades announced (which is mostly what I do).

Usually when I PVR something, I never end up watching it cause I cant resist looking at what happened lol

 

[Apotheosis]

Everything I read about him suggests incredible hockey IQ and great defensive aptitude. Get him with Barb and hope his offence comes around but I will shave a slim hope off that for some reason he'd be a Bergeron regen given his hockey sense.

 

[ErnieLeafs]

I wanted Goyette at this pick, but the beauty of backing away from spending hours obsessing over prospects, like I did years ago, is that I’m not completely ruined when they don’t pick the guys I liked.

This kid looks to have plenty to build on. Always love to hear a kid has a good mind for the game, and a motor that never stops. He played in all situations, by the sounds of it, and will probably take on a more prominent role in Kamloops next season.

Let’s all just wish the kid the best, and watch him grow. Maybe he develops into a 2C down the road in our system.

 

[Leaf Fans]

He played well in the Top Prospects game for the red team. Maybe Odog has some ideas about him.

 

[Stephen]

One nice thing about this pick is he’s a real centerman. Not an intelligent forward who can skillfully play some undefined role.

 

[Tarmore]

Usually when I PVR something, I never end up watching it cause I cant resist looking at what happened lol

LOL

Just like the games let it go for about an hour then watch. I caught up a couple of times and did something else.

After the first Leafs pick I went and read the boards here until it was just about time for the next pick (kept tabs on what pick # they were on) and went back and skimmed on until the good stuff!

 

[htpwn]

Here’s my take.

Fraser has always been good relative to his peers and kids a bit older than him, but more importantly he has always been getting better relative to those same peers.

Going back to when he was an 8 year old at the NAHC and his coach underutilizing him during the gold medal game (which they lost) or am I mixing him up with Blake?, to his time with the Spirit Bears and on to the academy where Jon naturally paired him up with Bedard, benefitting both of their games.

Then moving on to the Blazers where (imo) he began to surpass Connor (Levis) for the first time since I had seen - and briefly coached - them together when they were much younger. (as an aside, keep an eye on this Connor as well for next year’s draft in the later rounds).

Being the first pick for the most scrutinized team in the league is tough, beyond tough. But I don’t buy the comments about his skating – for example, anyone who suggests Bo Horvat was a great skater entering the league is completely out to lunch, being unaware of the concerns with his first step and the incredible work he and Kathy did to turn that from a weakness into a strength.

And unlike some others I have watched and coached over the years, I believe that Fraser will continue to develop offensively relative to his peers, barring injury of course.

He’s a 38th OA. Expectations should be tempered, but sadly we all know that they won’t be, in the TO market. I assume the chances of 38th OA’s making an impact in the NHL is quite low. The optics of being taken sooner than draft lists had him ranked are unfortunate. I agree with those who say high risk/ high upside should be drafted in the first couple rounds, something that the scouting reports don't attribute to Fraser.

It will be interesting to see how he develops relative to who was picked from 25th to the end of the third round. Obviously I hope Fraser surprises with how much upside he has. And now I have a second reason to root for the Leafs. God help me.

I suppose it depends on how you define "impact," but a second rounder has about a 1-in-3 shot to make the NHL and a high second rounder (i.e., 38th) a little higher than that still.

That is part of what makes this selection frustrating: the 38th is still a really decent pick and the Leafs decided to go off-the-board with it. Add in the fact that we originally had the 25th and traded back to dump a contract that we just signed last off-season, it definitely leaves me a bit sour.

Not the kid's fault, though. I'm obviously going to root for him regardless. Thanks for chiming in with your perspective.

 

[LeafsOHLRangers98]

One of the younger players in the draft, similar profile to Cirelli imo.

 

[BertCorbeau]

I like that he is young in this draft and shows a strong two way game already which can show some maturity. But it’s nice to see the strong finish to the seaosn offensively so maybe there’s some offensive upside. Given he is a bit younger it’s a nice gamble.

I’m excited to follow his progress.

 

[meefer]

Per NHL Draft Blackbook, courtesy of Maple Leaf Hotstove:

*He’s certainly a physical presence, especially on the forecheck. His forechecking is a strength – he anticipates defensive zone passes well and employs good stick positioning while applying pressure.

*He can play calmly or chaotically at his discretion.

*The overall skating package is going to grade up higher for us now because it seems so obviously projectable. He actually has greater length to his stride than meets the eye; it’s just that the power isn’t fully fleshed out yet.

*Maybe most frustrating of all is his overall lack of puck poise. For a player that has been a reasonably productive WHL player, he sure doesn’t touch the puck that much during a game. When he has it, it’s not for long.

I like that he's young, has a body that will fill out and get stronger, offers high hockey IQ, has 73 points in 87 WHL games and 16 points in 17 playoff games, and did it during covid (as did everyone else). Being one of the younger players in the draft, while not being one of the best talents, and still progressing well speaks to a maturity that impresses. I'll be interested to see how Kamloops uses him next year and if he can continue to improve his impacts for team success. A Cirelli type end result would be marvelous.

 

[Rielly4]

Hes suppose to be a 3C. Its not ideal but 3C is actually a very important position. Of course we would like to shoot for the stars, I probably would have wanted Lane Hutson it would be way more exciting. But if we get a value 3C on an ELC for 3 years that will be very nice.