The Toronto Maple Leafs paid a steep price when they bolstered their blue line back in March, dealing Fraser Minten and a top-five protected first-round draft pick in 2026 for defenseman Brandon Carlo.
Now in his second season with the Bruins, Minten is making an immediate impact. The 21-year-old center scored the overtime winner to help the Boston Bruins defeat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3. Minten, a late-season call-up for the Bruins in 2024-25, earned a spot in the opening-night lineup after just six games with his new club. The Bruins missed the playoffs for the first time in nine years last season, but are now 2-0-0 thanks to the player Toronto selected with their first pick (38th overall) in the 2022 NHL Draft.
Minten wasn’t the only former Leafs prospect acquired at the deadline to make it to an NHL-opening roster. Nikita Grebenkin, acquired in the deal for Scott Laughton, made the Philadelphia Flyers out of camp. However, Grebenkin was a healthy scratch for Philly’s season-opening loss to the Florida Panthers on Thursday.
Laughton has been out of action for the Leafs since blocking a shot in a pre-season game. He remains week-to-week with a lower-body injury. His lower-body injury appears to derail Leafs prospect Easton Cowan’s opening the regular season on the fourth line alongside Laughton and Steven Lorentz. Perhaps the prospect gets his chance when the Leafs head down the 401 to take on the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesar’s Arena on Saturday
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