When the Boston Bruins traded defenseman Brandon Carlo to the Toronto Maple Leafs on March 7, it was a little surprising that they would have traded their big blueliner to a division rival. However, if you're going to trade Carlo to a division foe, the return must be worth it.
That was the case with the Maple Leafs. Going back to Boston in the deal for Carlo was prospect Fraser Minten, who Maple Leafs fans and some writers were high on, and a first-round draft pick in the 2026 Entry Draft that is top-five protected. Minten was sent down to the Providence Bruins in the American Hockey League (AHL), and after almost a month in the organization, he is on his way back to the NHL.
Boston Bruins call up Fraser Minten from the AHL
The key phrase in the paragraph above is "on his way back to the NHL.'' That's because this won't be Fraser's first time wearing an NHL jersey. The 20-year-old left-shot played in 15 games this season for Toronto with two goals and four points. He played in four games in 2023-24.
Minten in the mix 📸 pic.twitter.com/UPevTsoHTm
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) April 5, 2025
In 10 games this year with Providence since being acquired in the trade, Minten has three goals and four assists, and his three goals came on a hat trick on March 16 against Springfield. According to Jim McBride of the Boston Globe, Minten was centering the third line for the Bruins at their morning skate on Saturday ahead of their clash with the Carolina Hurricanes later that night.
Fraser Minten (No. 93) gets the post skate stretch. #Bruins pic.twitter.com/5J4783mWhf
— Jim McBride (@globejimmcbride) April 5, 2025
McBride tweeted that Minten was centering newly acquired Marat Khusnutdinov and Vinni Lettieri. According to the Boston Bruins, he was recalled on an emergency basis, but it's safe to say that things have been trending as an emergency for some time now. Jeffrey Viel was sent back to the AHL to make room for Minten.
It'll be interesting to see how the 38th overall pick in the 2022 Entry Draft plays if he gets a shot. This is all of the evaluations that the Bruins are going through over their final six games before a vital off-season begins for the front office regarding roster-building for the 2025-26 season.