NHL Prospect Roundup: Toronto Maple Leafs’ Fraser Minten looks to help lead Canadian world junior team

Steven Ellis
Steven Ellis
Fraser Minten (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)
Credit: Fraser Minten (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)

The CHL trade market can be bonkers sometimes.

There’s so much value in going all-in and chasing the Memorial Cup, and the Saskatoon Blades knew they needed some extra help to achieve that. They made a big splash late last month, acquiring Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Fraser Minten for two first-round picks, a fourth-rounder and forward Jordan Keller.

It’s hardly the major blockbuster we usually see in major junior, but it was still a meaningful trade for a squad that has gone 5-0 since bringing Minten over from Kamloops. Minten previously served as captain with the Blazers, but that lasted just seven games.

Minten hasn’t blown the world away offensively since the trade, scoring just two goals and five points in six games on Saskatoon’s top line, but his impact has been so valuable. Minten started the season with the Leafs, playing four games after a surprisingly strong preseason showing from the 19-year-old.

If you had watched his play with Kamloops in the playoffs or Memorial Cup last year, you’d be shocked he made it anywhere close to Toronto’s lineup on opening night. But coach Sheldon Keefe loved his stout two-way play, and that’s exactly what we’re seeing Minten display on a nightly basis with Saskatoon.

Now, Minten is expected to play a big role with Canada’s world junior team in Sweden later this month. He joined the team for selection camp on Sunday in Oakville, about 30 minutes outside of Toronto.

Coach Alan Letang said the team would be leaning on those with NHL experience. Matthew Savoie, Owen Beck, Tristan Luneau and Minten meet that criteria. Beck and Minten are expected to play bottom-six roles for Canada, but they fit that so well. Minten, in particular, might be the most reliable two-way player on this Canadian team.

Could Minten find himself with a gold medal and a Memorial Cup title under his belt this year? It’s too early to tell. But whether it’s with Canada or Saskatoon, Minten is an important player that’s going to be relied on heavily. And Leafs fans have to be excited about that.

WHL

– With A LOT of small wingers on Canada, Andrew Cristall‘s chances of making the camp roster were limited. His skating got exposed on the bigger ice at the U-18 World Championship, which didn’t help. But the Washington Capitals have to be thrilled with Cristall’s D+1 year, sitting at 15 goals and 43 points in 22 games. That gives him a full-season rate of 121 points, aided by 15 points in his past 10 games. When Kelowna is thriving, Cristall often leads the way. From a talent perspective, few can match Cristall right now.

OHL

– I really enjoyed watching Gavin Hayes at the World Junior Summer Showcase last year and I think there’s a strong chance he makes USA’s roster. He’s a goal-scorer, currently on pace for 46 goals with the Flint Firebirds. But he’s got the energy and work ethic you’d expect from a depth player, making him so valuable for USA. The Chicago Blackhawks prospect might not be the most well-rounded, but he’s someone who you could throw on the third line one day and be happy with what he brings to the table.

QMJHL

– It wasn’t hard to spot Maveric Lamoureux at Canada’s first world junior practice on Sunday evening. Watching all 6-foot-7 of him skate past 5-foot-9 Denver Barkey was quite humorous. Lamoureux feels like a lock for this team, with the hulking blueliner showing he’s more than just a physical blueliner with a great reach. He’s also producing at more than a point per game with Drummondville, including five points in three games before heading out to Oakville this week. The Arizona Coyotes have a number of human skyscrapers in the system, and Lamoureux is one of the best. I have full confidence he’ll be an impact player in the big leagues. He’s an excellent skater for his size, can lay out anyone and has an NHL toolkit that’ll allow him to stick around for a long time.

NCAA

– Cameron Lund wasn’t invited to USA’s world junior camp after a decent showing in the summer. It wasn’t too surprising, with the San Jose Sharks prospect not lighting up the NCAA and with there already being an abundance of options in the bottom six. But he had a solid two-game stretch leading up to USA’s roster announcement with five points in a pair of important wins for Northeastern, which haven’t been easy to come by this year. Those were promising efforts for a forward with a good work ethic.

– Will Jacob Fowler win USA’s world junior starting gig? The Montreal Canadiens prospect is having one of the best seasons of any goalie in the tournament with a tremendous 13-3-1 record and a .925 save percentage at Boston College. I know USA Hockey loves him, especially after his strong showing at both the World Junior A Challenge and the World Junior Summer Showcase. Trey Augustine has the inside track as the starter from 2023, but I think Fowler is going to give him a run for his money.

AHL

– Not enough love has been sent Shane Wright‘s way for his tremendous play with the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds. His three-game stint with the Seattle Kraken was lackluster, but he’s on a 61-point pace as a 19-year-old rookie with Coachella Valley. For reference, if he hits that mark, he’ll tie Patrice Bergeron for the seventh-best output by a U-20 player in AHL history. Once viewed as one of the best prospects in the game, I still think he’s going to be an outstanding NHLer who plays a great two-way game. But there’s no reason for the Kraken to rush him – for as good as he is, he could spend another year in Coachella Valley.

– Logan Stankoven‘s Texas Stars linemate, setup man Mavrik Bourque, is the lone 30-point producer in the AHL thus far. But Stankoven isn’t far off with 14 goals and 29 points, including 16 points during his current 11-game point streak. The Stars have one of the most dangerous scoring attacks in the NHL, with Stankoven – a big-time producer in the WHL – averaging three shots per game. That consistency is huge, and it’s only a matter of time until he’s producing with the Dallas Stars.

– Marc Johnstone deserves a special shoutout. The 27-year-old winger has never been a big point producer and he’s only on his first pro contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins. But GM Kyle Dubas liked how hard Johnstone worked when the pair were in Toronto, with Johnstone eventually making his NHL debut this past weekend. If you didn’t know his story, Johnstone didn’t play junior until he was 19 with the USHL’s Chicago Steel before playing four years of college with Sacred Heart – not one of the top college programs. He spent 2021-22 playing in the ECHL before finally becoming a full-time bottom-six winger for the Marlies last year. He continued to improve all year long, which helped him earn his first NHL contract this past summer. Johnstone only played 7:19 against Florida on Friday, but for a longshot to ever make it that far, it was impressive.

Liiga

– I’ve been clear in my love for Lenni Hämeenaho‘s game this year, and I really think he’ll be a leader on Finland’s world junior team. The New Jersey Devils product impressed me in person at the World Junior Summer Showcase, and now he’s on pace for a 40-point sophomore campaign with Assat in the top Finnish league. He’s a goal-scorer, on pace for 25 this year, but it was his heads-up passing and quick decision-making that stood out over the summer. He’s my dark horse pick to win the WJC scoring race.

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