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The Toronto Maple Leafs organization has drafted and developed a number of youngsters currently playing in the NHL (Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, Pierre Engvall, and Justin Holl), but the club under GM Kyle Dubas has to keep replenishing the prospect pool to provide the Leafs with youngsters who can step up and replace veterans who retire, depart via free agency or are traded.
As we did last year, we will rank the club’s top prospects over the upcoming weeks based on their progress in either the NCAA, CHL, Europe, ECHL, or AHL and their potential to make the Leafs roster and make a contribution in the future.
Players are eligible for the list if they have not played more than 40 NHL games:
#40 - Vladislav Kara – LW (Yugra - VHL)
#39 - Kalle Loponen – D (Koo Koo Kouvola/JyP HT – Finland SM-Liiga)
#38 - Jeremy McKenna – RW (Wichita – ECHL, Toronto – AHL)
#37 - John Fusco – D (Harvard – NCAA)
#36 - Noel Hoefenmayer – D (Newfoundland – ECHL, Toronto – AHL)
#35 - Ryan Chyzowski - LW (Newfoundland - ECHL, Toronto - AHL)
#34 - Braeden Kressler - C (Flint - OHL)
#33 - Nikita Grebyonkin - RW (Stalnye Lisy - MHL, Magnitogorsk - KHL)
#32 - Vyacheslav Peksa - G (Ibris Kazan - MHL)
#31 - Dryden McKay - G (Minnesota Duluth - NCAA)
#30 - Bobby McMann - C (Newfoundland - ECHL, Toronto - AHL)
#29 - Pavel Gogolev – LW (Newfoundland - ECHL, Toronto – AHL)
#28 - Joe Miller – C (Chicago – USHL)
#27 - Veeti Miettinen – RW (St. Cloud St. – NCAA)
#26 - Brandon Lisowsky - LW (Saskatoon - WHL)
#25 - Max Ellis - RW (Notre Dame - NCAA, Toronto - AHL)
#24 - Axel Rindell – D (Karpat – Finland SM-Liiga)
#23 - Mac Hollowell - D (Toronto – AHL)
#22 - Artur Akhtyamov – G (Ak Bars Kazan – MHL/VHL/KHL)
#21 - Semyon Der-Argushintsev - C (Toronto - AHL)
#20 - Curtis Douglas - C (Toronto – AHL)
#19 - Mikhail Abramov – C (Toronto – AHL)
#18 - Dennis Hildeby - G (Farjestad - SHL)
#17 - Ty Voit – LW (Sarnia – OHL)
#16 - Filip Kral - D (Toronto - AHL)
#15 - Nick Moldenhauer - RW (Chicago - USHL)
#14 - Rodion Amirov – LW (Ufa Salavat – KHL)
#13 - Ryan Tverberg – C (Connecticut – NCAA)
#12 - Joseph Woll – G (Toronto – AHL/NHL)
#11 - Mikko Kokkonen – D (Pelicans – Finland SM-Liiga)
#10 - Fraser Minten - C (Kamloops - WHL)
The Maple Leafs once again used trading down at the NHL Draft as a strategic maneuver to solve a troublesome issue. GM Kyle Dubas swapped the 25th overall pick to clear the albatross contract of goalie Petr Mrazek to Chicago, and in the exchange acquired the Hawks second-round pick. At #37 overall, Toronto selected center Fraser Minten.
The 18-year-old Vancouver, BC native impressed early on with the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers, averaging nearly a point-per-game in the COVID-abbreviated 2020-21 season, scoring 55 points (20 goals, 35 assists) in 67 games last season, and 16 points (6 goals, 10 assists) in 17 playoff games.
Fraser Minten is a highly competitive two-way forward with a great shot and some offensive skill.
Watch as he starts the play with a good stick on the penalty kill before fighting off a check to get the puck to his teammate before driving the net and finishing the play: pic.twitter.com/mBsfGMt3sh
Minten plays classical piano off the ice and is an extremely intelligent and thoughtful kid, and those smarts are reflected in his game on the ice.
Hockey Prospect’s Black Book describes Minten as a "safe two-way center, a competitive player, but balances it with good hockey sense. He really manages ice well for a player of his ilk. He’s certainly a physical presence, especially on the forecheck. His forechecking is a strength – he anticipates defensive zone passes well and employs good stick positioning while applying pressure.
His skating isn’t amazing right now, but he shows some surprisingly good bursts from time to time. The overall skating package is going to grade up higher for us now because it seems so obviously projectable. He actually has greater length to his stride than meets the eye, it’s just that the power isn’t fully fleshed out yet.”
Minten may be on Team Canada’s radar for the 2023 World Junior after attending being a late addition to their pre-tournament summer camp roster, but him making the club may depend on how much he matures during his second full WHL season.
Toronto Maple Leafs Blogger • 
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