When the Boston Bruins traded defenseman Brandon Carlo to the Toronto Maple Leafs at the trade deadline in March of 2025, little did they know what a fleecing it was going to turn into.
General Manager Don Sweeney sent Carlo to Toronto for a first-round draft pick, prospect Fraser Minten, and a fourth-round draft pick. By now, you know that the first-round draft pick from last June's Entry Draft was Top-5 protected. Of course, the Maple Leafs tanked at the end of last season and won the NHL Draft Lottery.
They kept the pick and used it to grab Gavin McKenna. However, most Toronto fans are going to say that losing Minten is no big deal, while the true Leafs fans will admit that losing a potential top-six center is a bigger loss than the other fans want to admit.
After a breakout 2025-26 season for the Black and Gold, Minten is certainly off to another dream start in the 2026-27 season. Sure, it's only seven games, but defenseman Charlie McAvoy didn't mince words about his young teammate.
“He was already amazing last year, and we saw glimpses of what he could be in the future,” McAvoy said, per Belle Fraser of BostonBruins.com after Tuesday night's 6-3 win over the San Jose Sharks. “I think the way that he plays is just so mature, that that’s a way in which he can lead... We are going to lean on him a lot. He’s a great two-way player and a big part of what we’re trying to build here.”
Charlie McAvoy says what all Bruins believe about the future of Fraser Minten
In Tuesday night's win in Northern California, Minten had two goals, one in the first to get the scoring started and one in the third for a two-goal lead at 5-3, just over six minutes after San Jose closed the gap to 4-3 with a power-play goal. He is becoming a star before our eyes.
If there is someone who has been able to sit back and watch Minten early in the season, it's McAvoy. Suspended for the first six games, McAvoy watched from afar, and in seven games this season, Minten has four goals, three assists, and is averaging nearly 16 minutes per game. He plays in all situations for Marco Sturm.
Minten began the season as the third-line center, and he has been bumped up to the second-line center with Marat Khusnutdinov and JJ Peterka. It's only a matter of time before he takes over as the top-line center. Unless Sweeney trades for a top-line center, Minten could be the top center before the seasons over if Pavel Zacha is traded.
Toronto fans in denial are going to say that they don't care about losing Minten after landing McKenna. Maybe, but what can't be denied is that Boston was gifted a long-term piece of their future that was locked up before the season with a new contract. Minten will end up haunting the Maple Leafs for years to come. If McKenna doesn't work out, then the denial in Toronto will get worse than it already is. It's already worked out well for the Bruins with Carlo since been traded to the St. Louis Blues.
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