Boston Bruins rookie Fraser Minten is getting all the recognition after his breakout game against the Vancouver Canucks. The two-way forward returned to his home province for his first game as a professional and stole the show, scoring two goals, including the overtime winner, to give the Bruins their second consecutive victory. While the goal-scoring outburst turned some heads around the league, Boston fans know that the two tallies are only scratching the surface.
Don Sweeney and the rest of the Bruins front office would've been happy if Minten turned into a solid, dependable, third-line center in Boston for the next 10 years. The first-round pick from the Toronto Maple Leafs was the non-negotiable in that Brandon Carlo trade, and the people up north felt that giving up Minten was just the cost of doing business. However, they are quickly finding out that might've been a significant cost.
The Maple Leafs, with all their injuries this season, aren't out of the woods when it comes to finishing out of the playoffs. If they come up just short, they are going to gift the Bruins a lottery pick (as long as it doesn't go into the top five), but that might be the least of their worries. While Minten has already made the Leafs pay this season, having to face him as a checking-line center for the next 10 years wouldn't sound all too appealing for Brad Treliving and their front office.
Fraser Minten’s bright future could shape the Bruins’ next core
That fact is only true if Minten stays as a third-line center. If he becomes something more, the Bruins' rivals are going to regret this trade even more. With the way Minten is playing lately, I'm starting to get the feeling that his ceiling could be a little bit higher than just a checking line pivot.
Minten is already playing up the lineup with David Pastrnak and Marat Khusnutdinov. The trio clicked earlier this season, and if Pastrnak didn't enjoy playing with Minten, he wouldn't get the opportunity. Something is clicking with the two, as evidenced by the rookie having his best games this season when playing on this line.
We've seen Pastrnak play well alongside a two-way center in his years as part of the Perfection Line. While Minten is nowhere near Patrice Bergeron, it might just take a stylistic comparison to unlock the gifts that Pastrnak had when he played with Bergeron and Brad Marchand.
Khusnutdinov isn't the future of this line, but there is a player in the pipeline who could be a great fit on a future first line. The Bruins drafted James Hagens as a center, but he has been playing left wing at Boston College, and Boston shouldn't worry about moving him there if it's going to lead to NHL success.
How does a first-line in two to three years sound for Hagens-Minten-Pastrnak? If Minten continues on his trajectory and Hagens figures it out, the line could be lethal for the next decade in Boston. There's no reason to believe that Pastrnak won't be able to keep firing pucks home for the next 10 years, with the way he plays the game.
All of a sudden, the added piece in the Carlo trade could be the missing link in shaping the Bruins' core and culture and bringing a championship-contending team back to Boston.