The Boston Bruins signed up-and-coming center Fraser Minten to a lucrative seven-year contract extension Tuesday. How much of a bargain will this deal turn out to be?
If there’s one thing that’s clear about building an elite NHL roster, it’s that finding high-end talent at the center position is difficult.
In some cases, it’s even harder to hang on to them. When you do have a young, up-and-coming pivot, you need to find ways to keep that player around for the long haul — hopefully at a reasonable salary.
Those factors are what you have to keep in mind with the Boston Bruins' announcement on Tuesday, signing 22-year-old center Fraser Minten to a seven-year contract with an average annual value of $7.2 million.
The Bruins are trying to establish a new generation for the team, and acquiring Minten from the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2025 gave them a young center whose best years are ahead of him.
Some might say that giving Minten a significant raise is somewhat of a gamble considering that he’s only played 107 regular-season games in the NHL, posting 20 goals and 40 points in that span. But instead, think of Minten’s new contract extension — which doesn’t kick in until the 2027-28 season — as an investment in his potential.
Even if Minten maxes out as a third-line center, as the salary cap rises his percentage of the Bruins’ cap will fall steadily from 6.3 percent next season to only 4.5 percent in 2033-34 based on the current projections.
Any way you cut it, that’s an excellent investment in Minten by GM Don Sweeney.
Additionally, there are no early indications that Minten was given any no-trade or no-move protection. If this remains true, and things really go sour in his development, they can either find him a new team by trading him or consider buying out his deal. That’s a big ‘if’. For now, it absolutely makes sense to give Minten this contract.
If you look at the Bruins’ prospects, there aren't a ton of high-end players in the pipeline outside of James Hagens. And there's a chance he could develop into a winger rather than a center. This makes this investment even more justifiable.
Minten's 17 goals and 35 points in 82 games last season was enough of a sample size for Boston to make his new contract palatable for Sweeney & Co.. And Minten now has the job security he needs to focus on honing his craft.
There could be some sticker shock for some Bs fans regarding Minten’s new deal, but from our perspective, Minten’s contract extension is a win for the Bruins. If things do go as Boston management hopes, Minten’s extension is going to be regarded as a terrific bargain.
See more of The Hockey News on Google and save us as a preferred source. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
