Sheldon Keefe issues a statement on one of the organization's top prospects

When the 2023-24 season began and 19-year-old Fraser Minten was named to the opening night roster, it created a lot of buzz surrounding the 2022 2nd round pick. Everyone knew that he was a hard-working player with a very high ceiling in his draft year, but to have him make his NHL debut so soon, it was certainly impressive.

Not only did Minten make the Leafs out of training camp, he also put himself on the map with the coaching staff for his innate leadership qualities. Despite his young age, Sheldon Keefe had revealed early on this season that Minten was among the most talkative players on the Leafs' bench during the pre-season and his limited run in the NHL to begin the year.

Keefe and the Leafs' coaching staff got a glimpse of Minten taking on a leadership role in Toronto, so it was no surprise to him to see Minten named captain of the Canadian World Junior Team last week. Keefe shared his thoughts on Minten wearing the C for Canada on Wedneaday.

That's one heck of an endorsement from Keefe. There were a number of guys on Team Canada's WJC roster who could have just as easily have been selected to wear the C. The fact that Minten received the honour is a testament to his character and how he plays the game. He does all of the little things right and leads by example. We saw some of what he brings to the table on Boxing Day, when he put on a two-way clinic against Finland, forcing several turnovers in the neutral zone with strong positioning and an active stick.

It's no wonder that Leafs GM Brad Treliving has told teams up front that he would not entertain any trade proposals involving Minten. This kid looks like a future NHL captain already.

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