When the Leafs opted to send Fraser Minten back to junior after he dressed in four NHL games to begin the season, the expectation was that he would be named captain and become a go-to-guy for the Kamloops Blazers before eventually being moved to a contender ahead of the WHL trade deadline. That’s exactly what happened, although the trade came sooner than many expected.
Minten played in just seven games for the Blazers before a deal with Saskatoon was finalized last Friday, with his final game for Kamloops being his most productive of the season. The Leafs’ 2022 second-rounder notched a pair of goals and added an assist, but the Blazers ultimately fell to the Lethbridge Hurricanes by a score of 7-3. The loss brought Kamloops’ record on the season to 6-12-3-2, making it easier for the club to accept moving on from their best player and newly appointed captain in order to restock for the future.
#LeafsForever prospect Fraser Minten finishes off the 2 on 1 for his second goal of the game. He has a primary point on all three of Kamloops' goals, 8 shots on net, and won 15 of 27 faceoffs. Monster game.pic.twitter.com/K0XvbJC7EU
— More like Nikita GREATbyonkin (@brigstew86) November 23, 2023
The Blades paid a handsome price for Minten, sending 2005-born forward Jordan Keller, two first-round draft picks, and a third-round pick to the Blazers in exchange for the two-way pivot. It was a price that Saskatoon was happy to pay, however, in order to fortify their centre depth as they pursue the first WHL Championship in franchise history.
“Fraser brings all the elements we’ve been looking for; passion, compete, high skill level, size, Memorial Cup experience, not to mention four games of NHL regular season action with Toronto. Everyone we spoke to over the last month has raved about his character, his desire to win, and the leadership he brought as captain of the Blazers. We targeted him as our number one priority to acquire this year.”
– Saskatoon Blades President and General Manager, Colin Priestner via CHL.ca
Things can change quickly in junior hockey, and after competing in the Memorial Cup just a few months ago, the Blazers found themselves floundering near the bottom of the WHL standings. Minten was being asked to do a lot with very little help around him, but the move to Saskatoon should help set him up for success and provide him with the opportunity to go on another deep playoff run.
It was a quick turnaround for Minten as he made his Blades debut on Saturday night, centering the second line flanked by Vaughn Watterodt and fellow Leafs prospect Brandon Lisowsky. Saskatoon was defeated in overtime by a score of 4-3, but Minten made a solid impression with his first goal as a Blade in the losing effort. The goal was his fourth of the season and brought him to 11 points in eight games between Kamloops and Saskatoon.
#LeafsForever prospect Fraser Minten has his first goal as a member of the Saskatoon Blades pic.twitter.com/SAtV0VVlZJ
— Nick Richard (@_NickRichard) November 26, 2023
Minten has now played for three different teams already this season, and a fourth seems like a safe bet with the World Juniors around the corner. His combination of big-game experience, versatility, and leadership could make him a valuable piece of Canada’s roster as they aim to make it three straight gold medal finishes.
World Junior gold and a deep playoff run with the Blades are the ultimate goals for Minten this season, but for now, he’ll just be looking to find his place and get comfortable with his new club. Saturday’s debut was a good start.
#LeafsForever prospect Brandon Lisowsky with a seeing-eye-shot goal from the point, with Fraser Minten making the goalie's job a whole lot harder. It's Lisowsky's 15th goal of the season for now, but may have been deflected. pic.twitter.com/j0LKpbbQRZ
— More like Nikita GREATbyonkin (@brigstew86) November 26, 2023
Death, taxes, and Easton Cowan scoring shorthanded goals#LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/M3UpbCqlHe
— Nick Richard (@_NickRichard) November 26, 2023
HOLY MAMA GREBYONKIN CAN THROW 'EM! #MMG #LeafsForever Nikita Grebyonkin vs #SPR Roman Rukavishnikov #KHL pic.twitter.com/Ozfh9PbGHC
— Hockey News Hub (@HockeyNewsHub) November 25, 2023
This is the third highlight-reel save from Dennis Hildeby in the first period from the #Marlies. He's on fire right now. pic.twitter.com/uUbZOJVkGi
— Nick Barden (@nickbarden) November 22, 2023
Back on Wednesday, Noah Chadwick (No. 8) collected 2 power-play assists. He's 1 point shy of matching his totals from last season in 44 fewer games.
Totals (WHL): 23 GP, 6 G, 19 PTS, +10#LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/3t6pbdDKwT
— Kyle Cushman (@Kyle_Cush) November 26, 2023
#LeafsForever prospect Hudson Malinoski is sent in alone and makes no mistake, scoring his 5th goal of the season.pic.twitter.com/v8vKvt0Gbs
— More like Nikita GREATbyonkin (@brigstew86) November 25, 2023
Statistics from EliteProspects.com
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