Ex-Maple Leafs Prospect Fraser Minten is breaking out big

If you haven’t been keeping an eye on Fraser Minten since he landed with the Boston Bruins, you might want to fix that. The youngster has basically decided that this is his year, and the Bruins have given him the perfect runway to take off. He’s 21, he’s buzzing every night, and he’s providing the kind of steady, month-by-month climb that turns a “nice prospect” into a legitimate breakout story.

Minten has already earned his permanent place

Mint started the season on the third lineplayed the safe, responsible minutes you expect from a young center, then slowly started piling up the performances. A goal here, a two-assist night there, and then suddenly multi-point games are popping up everywhere. The trust switch flipped and he hasn’t looked back.

The recent period says it all: in fifteen games he has scored eight goals and sixteen points. That’s not ‘getting hot’. That’s a young player figuring out he belongs – and perhaps realizing he can drive the game, rather than just support it.

In fact, Minten’s play looks sustainable

What’s most striking is that none of this seems coincidental. He’s getting harder on pucks, shooting more, penetrating contact and showing he’s willing to live in the depths of the ice. That’s usually the last part of a young center’s game arriving, and Minten does it in the first year.

And with Boston missing Elias Lindholm and Pavel Zacha, Minten is down the rankings. He looks completely unfazed. The Bruins needed someone under center to handle the big minutes, and he just does that. He provides calm, stable and productive minutes every match. That alone says a lot about how far he has come.

Looking at the growth of Minten during the season

Take a look back at Minten’s past months. He scored two goals against the Vancouver Canucks, scoring in overtime. By the way, Vancouver is his birthplace. He had a three-point night against the New York Rangers. He made clutch plays late in games, including an equalizer against the Montreal Canadiens.

He has played seven multi-point games in a short period of time. But it’s more than scoring. He hits, blocks shots and wins board battles. In short, he is the whole package. Minten’s figures tell the story, but the eye test supports this even more. He plays like someone who belongs on a good team, and not like someone who is just clinging to a spot on the roster.

Is Minten the breakout player of the NHL season?

If Minten can keep this game going, it’s hard to argue that he won’t be the surprise of the season. Boston needed someone to come out, and Minten pulled the door right off its hinges.

The Bruins may have found something real here, and the ex-Maple Leafs prospect appears to be just getting started.

Related: Maple Leafs “Widening Scope,” makes several names available commercially