Injury pileup offers golden opportunity for Maple Leafs’ Fraser Minten
A best-case scenario: The Toronto Maple Leafs’ missing centre piece was right underneath them the whole time.
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TORONTO – A best-case scenario: The Toronto Maple Leafs’ missing centre piece was right underneath them the whole time.
Fraser Minten was recalled from the AHL Marlies Tuesday morning and should make his NHL season debut Wednesday versus the Vegas Golden Knights.
The move was necessitated by fellow centreman David Kämpf’s move to injured reserve (retroactive to Nov. 16) with a lower-body ailment.
Considering the upper-body injury to No. 1 pivot Auston Matthews, now set to linger to the three-week mark, the Maple Leafs have been left with gaping holes in middle ice.
What an opportunity for Minten, the 20-year-old prospect who wasn’t quite ready for prime time in 2023-24. The second-round pick’s fantastic training camp led to a four-game peek in the show but ultimately resulted in a return to junior, where he put up 48 points in 45 games for the Saskatoon Blades and Kamloops Blazers in his fourth WHL season.
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Turning full-time pro, a high-ankle sprain robbed Minten of a fair shake at training camp this past fall. But the smart, two-way centre left an impression on coach Craig Berube with how he handled the adversity.
“He’s going to be a good player,” Berube said. “It obviously was hard on him… not being able to participate in the main camp.
“He’s got a real good head on his shoulders, this guy.”
Minten’s AHL coach, John Gruden, has already seen that through five games (with two goals and two assists) on the farm.
“His intelligence, his ability to play in all zones, his knowledge of the game [stand out],” Gruden said. “He’s played in the world championships, world juniors, and he just knows how to play the game the right way.
“He’s a captain from the team he came from. I know he’s only 20, but he does a lot of good things. He stops some pucks, his details are extremely good, he’s got a good stick. He’s just going to continue get better.”
The Maple Leafs (11-6-2) have kept their heads above water despite an onslaught of injuries and absences up front.
Matthews (upper body) will miss his seventh consecutive game this week and has not been ramping up his skating. Calle Järnkrok, who hasn’t played all season, underwent groin and sports hernia surgery and won’t be back for months. Max Pacioretty (lower body) is still weeks away. Ryan Reaves is suspended until Dec. 4. And now Kämpf, who finished Saturday’s win without obvious injury, is on the mend. (At this point, neither Kämpf nor Matthews have been ruled out for Sunday’s game, Toronto’s first against Utah HC.)
Furthermore, winger-turned-centre Max Domi has been skipping practices as he battles through an undisclosed ailment of his own.
All of which adds up to a golden opportunity for Minten to test his skills at the highest level.
And a chance for the Maple Leafs to see if they have a 3C that can help them this season, or if they need to bring in help from the outside.
