The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed Fraser Minten to a three-year entry-level contract. Minten was the team’s first pick in the 2022 draft. The center was drafted 38th overall, following a draft-day trade between Toronto and the Chicago Blackhawks.
🖊 We’ve signed forward Fraser Minten to a three-year, entry-level contract.
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) October 13, 2022
Fraser Minten Signs Contract
The 18-year-old, hailing from Vancouver, British Columbia will spend the 2022-23 season as an alternate captain of the Kamloops Blazers. With 55 points in 67 OHL games in 2021-22, Minten will look to reach the point-per-game plateau in this campaign. He will be playing closely alongside 2022 WHL MVP Logan Stankoven.
At 6’2″ and 196 pounds, Minten is an intriguing piece of a young forward group that’s coming up in Toronto. Alongside Nick Robertson and Matthew Knies, the Leafs may have a line of the future. Minten was not the highest-ceiling prospect available to the Leafs, however, his responsible defensive game and his instinct to play into the slot make his NHL game somewhat projectable.
Draft-Day Trade
The pick used to acquire Fraser Minten was acquired by the Leafs on draft day in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks. Toronto traded the 25th overall pick and inconsistent goaltender Petr Mrazek for the 38th overall pick. This allowed the Leafs not only to still get a strong draft slot, but also the cap flexibility to make needed upgrades at the goaltending position.
Contract Details
Minten’s entry-level contract has a three-year term, and is set to expire after the 2024-25 season. However, Minten’s contract will slide as he is already in the CHL for the season. Thus, unless another entry-level slide occurs, Minten will expire as an RFA after the 2025-26 season.
What This Means
Minten may not be the most exciting prospect from the 2022 NHL draft, but it shows the direction the Toronto Maple Leafs are taking. They have all the star-power they need, and are trying to build a strong bottom-six in hopes of a cup-run. Responsible defensive players on entry-level deals such as Minten are perfect complements in a flat-cap NHL, and he should serve the Leafs well.
Draft prospect Fraser Minten believes his hockey IQ will go a long way to helping Leafs in future: https://t.co/YF6g9s56iW#TSNHockey pic.twitter.com/Cn7OBv3AHK
— TSN Hockey (@TSNHockey) July 8, 2022
