Leafs rookie to miss second consecutive game; Sheldon Keefe explains why
With the Toronto Maple Leafs rolling with a slightly altered lineup heading into tomorrow's clash against the Washington Capitals, unfortunately for rookie center Fraser Minten, he will remain a healthy scratch in consecutive games.
The 19-year-old had burst onto the scene with a formidable training camp, where the Sheldon Keefe and the rest of the coaching staff almost had no choice but to keep him around for the season opener. Not many had him penciled in on the 2023-24 season opening roster, but Minten is with the big club on the merit of his work in training camp, which was made very clear by Keefe.
To date, the rookie has appeared in 4 games and has gone point-less while averaging 11:26 TOI. However, he has not looked out of place. Keefe explained on Monday that Minten being held out of the lineup once again has nothing to do with his lack of production but more so to give him a breather and let him soak in the NHL experience:
"A good chance for him to step back and take a breath a little bit.... We'll take a day at a time in terms of when he may make it back in, but for now it's about really soaking up the experience and staying ready."
It's unknown for the time being whether the Leafs send him back to Kamloops of the WHL or not but for now, Minten will remain with the big club, he will practice with the rest of the regulars, and maybe he'll find himself back in the lineup for at least a few more games as the season rolls into its third week.
| POLL | ||
OCTOBRE 23 | 255 ANSWERS Leafs rookie to miss second consecutive game; Sheldon Keefe explains why Will Minten get back into the lineup in either of the next 2 games against Dallas or Nashville? | ||
| Yes | 95 | 37.3 % |
| No | 79 | 31 % |
| Just send him back to junior | 81 | 31.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
