Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney dealt longtime defenseman Brandon Carlo to the Toronto Maple Leafs and received a couple of draft picks and forward Fraser Minten.
Minten got his first shot on the Bruins’ NHL roster after being recalled from the club’s AHL affiliate in Providence at the beginning of April. He played six games for Boston, scoring one goal.
Providence coach Ryan Mougenel recalled getting calls and messages from many people in the Toronto organization about the type of player Minten was.
“This kid is special,” Mougenel said on NESN’s “The Hockey Hub” podcast. “He’s a leader, he’s a fantastic kid, you’re going to love him.
“And from the minute he stepped in the dressing room, he had a certain presence. The guys instantly fell in love with him. I know the coaching staff fell in love with him.”
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Minten registered three goals and four assists for seven points across 11 games in Providence before joining Boston for the remainder of the season. During that time, Mougenel got a first-hand look at what the 20-year-old Vancouver native had to offer.
“He is a little bit of a throwback,” Mougenel explained. “He plays the game the right way. He’s going to have a long career. His message at his exit meeting was, ‘Let’s get a little bit more polished on your game. You can take chances. You don’t have to play safe all the time.’
“He’s a really responsible player. Super coachable. He has concepts. He picked up our D-zone right away, and in our system, we put a premium on centers. He’s going to be a real good player for the Bruins. I can’t say enough about the kid.”
After the Bruins failed to make the postseason for the first time in a decade, Minten was reassigned to Providence so he could help the Baby B’s compete in the Calder Playoffs. He recorded two assists in eight games for Providence.
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“He arguably was one of our best players in the playoffs,” Mougenel said. “I’m really excited to see the summer that he has in him and his growth as a first-year guy. I can’t imagine this guy, when he turns 24, what a force he’s going to be.”
You can hear more of Mougenel’s evaluations on various Bruins prospects by catching the latest episode of “The Hockey Hub” on YouTube or Spotify.
