While the Toronto Maple Leafs organization is undoubtedly now devoting its full focus to the 2022-23 NHL season, that hasn’t stopped them from looking ahead to their future. On Thursday, the Maple Leafs announced that they’ve signed forward prospect Fraser Minten to a three-year entry-level deal. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Minten, 18, was the Maple Leafs’ top pick at the 2022 draft in Montreal, getting selected 38th overall after Toronto traded out of the first round as part of the Petr Mrazek deal with the Chicago Blackhawks.
Minten is a WHL product who spent his draft season with the Kamloops Blazers. On a strong Blazers team, Minten scored 55 points in 67 regular-season games and added 16 points in 17 playoff games. Minten brings solid size and strength to the center position, and he has drawn praise for his shooting ability.
Since Minten will play 2022-23 with the Blazers, the Maple Leafs’ choice to sign him to this entry-level deal isn’t motivated by any desire to improve their roster in the short or medium term. Instead, signing Minten to this deal gives GM Kyle Dubas and the Maple Leafs organization a chance to demonstrate their commitment to Minten’s development and reward him for his performances in rookie camp and the preseason.
With this deal in hand, Minten will head back to the Blazers once he recovers from an injury he suffered during training camp. In Kamloops, Minten will in all likelihood be asked to shoulder an even greater role as the Blazers look to build toward another deep run in the WHL playoffs.
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