If the Boston Bruins are going to return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs this upcoming season, they are going to need some players to step up and have big seasons. That was the case in 2025-26, and the Black and Gold were a surprise playoff team.
However, last season, the Bruins took advantage of some teams having down seasons or other reasons. Could they be that lucky this winter? If they are going to play postseason hockey for a second year in a row, they are going to have to have some players break out again. NHL.com released 20 fantasy hockey breakout candidates, and one of them was a fast-rising prospect, Fraser Minten.
Bruins Fraser Minten tabbed breakout candidate for 2026-27 season
Selected in the second round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Bruins acquired him from their division rivals for defenseman Brandon Carlo at the trade deadline in March 2025. What a deal that turned out to be. He played in six games following the trade. Then he broke into the lineup full-time last season.
Minten played in all 82 regular-season games and had 17 goals and 18 assists while averaging 15:33 a night. He had an eye-opening plus/minus of plus-21. He scored some big goals, including the game-winner in March against the Washington Capitals that clinched a huge shootout win on the road. He even took some big faceoffs for coach Marco Sturm in some key moments throughout the season. He quickly earned his first-year head coach's trust.
If Minten were to break out this upcoming season, it would be welcomed by the Bruins and Sturm. General manager Don Sweeney did not address the need for a top-six center, and it appears that the Black and Gold will be counting on their current top 3 pivots, Elias Lindholm, Pavel Zacha, and Minten.
That is not a promising outlook, to be honest. It would be huge if Minten could grab one of the two top-six spots in the middle. Zacha will likely be the first-line center, but if Minten can lock down the second-line role and be able to handle it for a good chunk of the season, then that would go a long way toward the Black and Gold having success.
Can Minten have a bigger breakout season? Can he improve on his goal and assist totals from last season? The latter would be huge for a team looking for someone to solidify the lineup. Minten is the type of breakout player that the Bruins need to have success in 2026-27.
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