After swapping out of their higher to pick to rid themselves of a bad contract, the Maple Leafs made their first pick in the second round.
The Toronto Maple Leafs had to wait until the second round of the 2022 NHL Draft to make their first selection.
And with it, they selected Fraser Minten, a two-way center with the Kamloops Blazers.
The Vancouver-native is a life-long Vancouver Canucks fan and cited Bo Horvat as one of his favourite players.
Selected at No. 38 overall in the draft, Minten was selected higher than what many mock drafts may have expected.
“They showed a lot of interest in me immediately after the end of my season,” Minten said of the Leafs. “I was kind of honestly kind of hoping it would work out.”
Minten scored 20 goals and 35 assists in 67 games in his second season in Kamloops. He attributed his ability to get stronger and develop as keys to his improvement. Clearly the Leafs agreed.
The 18-year-old described himself as a smart two-way player
“I think I defend really well and I’m good on offense as well,” he said.
That will help the Leafs bolster their depth up front, although Minten says he’s still a few years away from making an impact at the NHL level
A comparison to his style of play is that of William Karlsson of the Vegas Golden Knights.
Minten is a classically-trained pianist and likes to play when he’s not playing hockey. His folks made him take lesson 10 years ago and he’s learned to appreciate the skill.
“With piano, when you hit the wrong key everyone knows you made a mistake,” Minten said.
On Thursday, the Leafs traded their first-round pick (25th) overall and goaltender Petr Mrazek to the Chicago Blackhawks for the 38th overall pick in the 2022 Draft.