Leafs captain John Tavares blown away by 18-year-old Leafs prospect in his first training camp
This past summer, during the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, the Leafs elected to trade out of the first round in order to move goaltender Petr Mrazek to the Chicago Blackhawks, moving back 13 spots from #25 down to #38, near the top of the second round. They used that pick to draft 18-year-old Fraser Minten, one of the youngest players in the draft.
The Leafs reportedly had Minten as their 15th ranked prospect in the draft and the fact that he wasn't on anyone else's radar in round 1 made it possible for the Leafs to both move out of the first round and still get the player they wanted - one who they viewed as a first-round talent.
Minten has impressed during his first ever NHL training camp. Among those most impressed with the Kamloops Blazer is Leafs captain John Tavares, who absolutely raved about Minten's skills and significant upside on Monday.
-Tavares on Fraser Minten's first camp
There are a lot of fans who believe that Minten could be preparing for his first NHL season around this time next year, but it's far more likely that the Leafs don't rush him. Minten only turned 18 on July 5th and admitted after Leafs summer development camp that he felt as though he was still a couple of years away from being ready for the NHL.
While a strong training camp might expedite the timeline for Minten, it's still unlikely that he is a full-time NHLer in 2023-24. He'll more than likely take the next couple of years to fully develop and mature as a player, which is probably the right path for him. When he is ready, however, he looks like he's going to be, as Tavares stated, a "good one".
