Boston's heist of Fraser Minten is officially paying dividends at the worst possible time for Toronto
Photo credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
There's been a distinct lack of clutch factor for the Maple Leafs which makes what Fraser Minten did in Boston make his trade look even more like a failure than it previously did.
Minten's heroics are well-documented this season, with him securing the Rookie of the Month for January, while also being a potential top-six staple for the next decade to come. His teammates love him, his coach even more so - this is a bonafide NHL player.
Fraser Minten's 9th-round heroics are a punishing reminder of what Toronto gave away
Adding to his impressive season is the fact that he ended a long shootout with a gorgeous goal that absolutely bewildered Logan Thompson and gave Boston yet another victory.
With his 15 goals on the season, he's just brought another dangerous dimension to the Bruins lineup, and his tenacious defensive game has earned tons of praise on top.
Toronto had to bring in Scott Laughton to help with the 3C last year, and then Nic Roy came in this season. Minten is outpacing both of them in points, and he's a decade younger. It's curious what Minten in the lineup now would look like; especially with Easton Cowan making the roster.
Minten would rank sixth on the Maple Leafs in goals scored, ahead of names like Max Domi, Morgan Rielly, Nick Robertson, and Dakota Joshua. If he were there perhaps the season would have shifted for the better.
Boston's rookie is effectively burying the Capitals playoff hopes with every goal
But looking at the bigger picture, Washington takes an OT loss which is not good. Yes, it's a point but if they end up missing the playoffs by one and Toronto ends up without any draft help - it circles back to Minten's shootout winner.
While he wasn't exactly focused on the implications of his goal as it relates to Toronto's draft pick situation, there is some level of revenge albeit directly. Minten said 'I'll prove you made a mistake' and so far, he has.
It doesn't feel like Minten was a Maple Leafs prospect who is still finding his footing with the Bruins. No, it seems like he has fully bought in and his hard work and dedication is paying off.
Plus the fans love him too, and with Boston being one of the most marketable, passionate and loyal fanbases; if Minten rewards them then he's going to get a lot of love for a long time.
Handing Minten to Boston on a silver platter was a massive calculation error
The trade involving Minten was expected to help the Maple Leafs last year by finally giving Morgan Rielly a trusted shutdown partner. Instead, they got a player who looked lost, while also risking their future. This team was never going to beat the Panthers, and the Carlo deal was not strong enough to put them over the top.
Minten sits eighth in rookie scoring with 30 points which also would put him fifth on the entire Maple Leafs in points - a rookie is outpacing a team full of veterans who had playoff hopes.
It's not a case of a rookie getting hot, but an NHL-ready prospect who got dumped in a win-now disaster.
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| POLL | ||
MARS 14|911 ANSWERS Boston's heist of Fraser Minten is officially paying dividends at the worst possible time for Toronto Is the Brandon Carlo/Fraser Minten trade the worst deal of the Brad Treliving era? | ||
| Yes | 740 | 81.2 % |
| No | 61 | 6.7 % |
| Top 3 | 101 | 11.1 % |
| Top 5 | 9 | 1 % |
| List of polls | ||