When it was reported that the Boston Bruins traded Brandon Carlo to the Toronto Maple Leafs, fans were waiting to see what the return was. To ship a top-four defenseman to a division rival, the return had to be worth it.
It was. Bruins general manager Don Sweeney received the Maple Leafs' 2026 first-round pick, Top 5 protected, prospect Fraser Minten, and a fourth-round pick in last June's draft. Ten months later, Minten has locked down a key spot in the Black and Gold's lineup and earned the trust of first-year coach Marco Sturm.
Playing in all situations, Minten played a big role in the Bruins' 3-2 overtime win over the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night. He opened the scoring in the first period with a power play goal and then saved his best for overtime.
With the clock winding down, David Pastrnak's shot was stopped by Canucks goalie Kevin Lankinen, but the rebound went to Minten, who was able to score the game-winner for Boston's second straight win in the fourth stop of their current five-game road trip. After the game, goalie Jeremy Swayman, who made 31 saves on 33 Vancouver shots, said out loud what Maple Leafs fans don't want to hear.
Bruins goalie Jermey Swayman says the quiet part out loud about Fraser Minten
Swayman didn't beat around the bush about how his young teammate is performing in his first full season in Boston. In 42 games this season, he has eight goals and nine assists after his performance on Saturday night.
“It’s excellent. He deserves every bit of it,” said Swayman. “One of the hardest workers on the team. Plays the right way, carries himself the right way like a pro. It’s just awesome to see him get results like that. It’s expected now. He’s put himself in a position to be an elite player.”
He certainly has had a good season, and you can see why Maple Leafs fans were high on him as one of their top prospects. Getting him from Toronto was a huge get for Sweeney. It looks even better now with the first-round pick this June, with the Maple Leafs' struggles this season, and Carlo out injured. Minten is certainly making major strides this year and is one of the key foundation pieces of Boston's retool. It wouldn't be surprising to see him turn into an elite player sooner rather than later.