One of the best assets the Boston Bruins acquired across their NHL trade deadline deals was talented prospect Fraser Minten.
The 6-foot-2, 195-pound center was part of the trade that sent defenseman Brandon Carlo to the Toronto Maple Leafs on deadline day. The B’s also got a 2026 first-round pick in that deal.
Minten has been playing for the AHL’s Providence Bruins since the trade, and he put on a show in Sunday’s game against the Springfield Thunderbirds.
The former 2022 second-round pick scored his first goal with the P-Bruins in the opening period. He established good position in front of the net and capitalized on a nice pass from Georgii Merkulov to give Providence a 1-0 lead.
Minten’s second goal again came in front of the net, this time off a nice pass from Billy Sweezey. He completed the hat trick later in the second period after collecting a rebound in the slot and showing off a pretty move to beat the Thunderbirds goalie from a tough angle. This whole sequence began with a faceoff win by Minten in the attacking zone.
Check out all three of Minten’s goals from Providence’s 4-1 win in the video below. He also picked up the primary assist on Riley Duran’s third-period goal.
One of the most impressive aspects of Minten’s hat trick was his willingness to crash the net. Establishing inside ice isn’t easy, but he’s not afraid to go to the tough areas to win puck battles and score goals. He also impressed on faceoffs in this game, which is another encouraging sign for the Bruins.
Even though it would be fun for Bruins fans to watch Minten play some games at the NHL level over the final few weeks of the regular season, the best course of action is to leave him in Providence. He can play a ton of minutes in all situations down in the AHL and continue to refine his skill set, create good habits and build some confidence.
You don’t want to rush a top-tier prospect’s development. And now that he’s really settling in at Providence, it doesn’t make much sense to switch things up.
The Bruins have desperately needed good young centers for a long time. It’s a position where they’ve really struggled to draft well for many years. Minten has a bright future as a two-way center who could fill a middle-six role in the NHL fairly soon.
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