It sure looks like Fraser Minten's time with Leafs is nearly over

When Fraser Minten first cracked the Toronto Maple Leafs roster this season, it was a pleasant surprise to many.

The youngest player on the team, Minten slotted into the team’s opening-night lineup on the third line as a 19-year-old just 16 months removed from being picked by Toronto back in the second round of the 2022 NHL draft.

But while the Leafs gave Minten a shot at showing his stuff in the NHL this season, it doesn’t seem like he’ll be sticking around long.

After four games, Minten has yet to find the scoresheet, playing just 8:47 against the Florida Panthers last Thursday.

And for a second straight game, Minten will be sitting when the Leafs face the Washington Capitals tonight at an unusual 6 pm ET start time to accommodate all 32 NHL teams in action on one day.

“We are just taking it a day at a time at this point. He is not going to play tomorrow,” Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters Monday. “We will see how it goes from there. For now, I think it is a good chance for him to step back and take a breath a little bit. He has played a lot of hockey. He has had a lot going on. We will take it a day at a time in terms of when he may get back in. For now, it is just about soaking up the experience and staying ready.”

Minten, who signed his entry-level contract with the organization last October, would likely be sent back to the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers if he can’t find his way back into Toronto’s lineup. If he doesn’t play 10 games this season with Toronto at the NHL level, his contract will “slide” an extra year to the 2024-25 season. And based on the way it’s trending right now, that seems like it’s only a matter of time.

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