By: Declan Flavin | Follow me on Twitter / X @FlavinDeclan
After letting go of core players during the previous National Hockey League trade deadline, the Boston Bruins now have a chance to capitalize on some promising trade returns. Trading a tenured piece like Brandon Carlo is never easy, but netting a 2025 fourth-round pick, a 2026 first-round pick (top-five protected), and forward Fraser Minten is about as strong a return as a team decision maker could ask for.
Time will tell how the acquired draft picks pan out, but Minten brings an identity the Bruins’ brass clearly value. Boston General Manager Don Sweeney has set the expectation that the 2025–26 Bruins will be built around “self-starters,” and Minten’s versatile style fits that mold.
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Minten, a 21-year-old Vancouverite, was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs with the 38th overall pick in the second round of the 2022 NHL Draft. He spent most of his development in the WHL between the Kamloops Blazers and Saskatoon Blades, delivering an impressive 31 goals, 36 assists season in 57 games with Kamloops in 2022–23. Notably, he was named captain of the Blazers for the 2023–24 season following a brief four-game stint with the NHL club. While his combined AHL/NHL stat line totals just 25 points over 58 games, the evolution of Minten’s game goes far beyond the numbers.
In six late-season games wearing the black and gold, Minten showcased a two-way, agile style that pressured opponents at five-on-five and on the penalty kill. He injected fresh energy into a lineup worn down by the grind of the season, and he’ll now look to tailor his relentless style with more physicality. In a late-season postgame presser, as quoted by the Boston Herald’s Steve Conroy, former Bruins coach Joe Sacco said of Minten’s future: “Probably the No. 1 thing will be his strength that he builds up over the summer, just the importance of getting stronger in this league.” If he can do that, Minten already brings the willingness to battle for pucks and outwork opponents along the boards.
Off the ice, Minten is known for his calm, hardworking demeanor. Maple Leafs captain John Tavares said of him during his time in Toronto: “A very heady player. Smart. Just a joy to be around. I think he’s a tremendous kid; a great kid. I think we have a good one in him” (via David Alter). For a Bruins team in a retooling phase, players like Minten are essential to reinforcing a winning culture. His consistency and leadership traits could serve as a model for other young Bruins skaters, making the future captain’s job of keeping the room connected just a little easier.
When it comes to earning a regular-season roster spot, Minten will be battling for space in a crowded middle and bottom-six unit. The group includes offseason additions like Tanner Jeannot, Sean Kuraly, and Michael Eyssimont, as well as depth options such as Matej Blumel and more experienced Bruins like Matt Poitras, Fabian Lysell, and Mark Kastelic. Still, Minten’s natural fit within the Bruins’ forechecking identity gives him a legitimate head start. If he’s putting in the work and sharpening what his game brings to the table, the results should take care of themselves.
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