Minten was sent to the Marlies on Tuesday after recovering from a high-ankle sprain he suffered in early September.
Fraser Minten's first game with the Toronto Marlies could come sooner than later.
On Thursday, Minten participated in his second practice with the Toronto Marlies after being sent to the AHL on Tuesday by the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The 20-year-old forward is returning from a high-ankle sprain, which he suffered in Montreal during the second game of the Prospect Showdown against the Canadiens.
"It's amazing. It's hard being in between [the AHL and NHL] and not being part of a team there when you're out of the lineup and can't play," Minten told Marlies play-by-play commentator Todd Crocker.
"It's super fun to be around guys and in practices with not just yourself and skills coaches."
The second-round pick (38th overall) in the 2022 NHL Draft was on the ice for several days with the Maple Leafs' development staff before being sent to the Marlies.
Minten was seen doing skating drills before the NHL team's practices last week, signalling that a return was near.
The young forward told Crocker on Thursday that his rehab process consisted of plenty of one-on-one work with Toronto's return-to-play staff.
"They have great return-to-play staff here that make everything very easy for you," Minten said.
"They take care of all the workouts and all the on-ice and you just gotta show up and put in the work that they ask and you'll get better. The timeline worked out pretty much just as they expected and it was really smooth honestly."
Minten's entering a Marlies team he's familiar with following countless prospect tournaments with the Maple Leafs organization, in Traverse City, and, this past September, in Montreal.
"You feel like you've played on their team before which is nice," he said. "It's not a bunch of new players and new faces that you don't know. There's a decent amount of familiarity already."
This will be Minten's first year of professional hockey after several seasons in junior. Due to the CHL and NHL agreement, the young forward wasn't eligible to play in the AHL until he turned 20.
And now, after suffering a high-ankle sprain, his debut with the Marlies has been on hold. As Minten returns to full practice, it's possible he gets into an AHL game pretty soon.
However, the AHL's schedule — which sees the team play three times in the next two weeks (this Saturday vs. Cleveland and next Saturday and Sunday in Charlotte) — might make him wait a bit longer before a debut.
"I think just kind of getting into as many practices as I can here and get back up to game speed with some contact and different game situations through practice," he said on Thursday.
"And then, after five, six practices, feeling good, getting hopefully back into some games."
Either way, the Marlies are adding a solid player to their lineup, whenever the prospect is ready to play.
"It seems like forever ago when we were in Montreal for the [Prospects Showdown]. Unfortunately, he got that injury, but it's also very nice to see him on the ice," Marlies head coach John Gruden told Crocker on Thursday.
"He's a player that's younger whose got tremendous upside and who plays the right way. He'll come in and just help us push everyone and give a little energy to the older guys as well. So it's exciting to see him back out there."