The Toronto Maple Leafs announced Tuesday that they have activated Fraser Minten from season-opening injured reserve and subsequently sent to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies.
Minten has been out since September with a high-ankle sprain he suffered during the second game of the 2024 Prospect Showdown. 2023 fifth-overall pick David Reinbacher sent him feet-first into the boards with a hit that resulted in Minten getting up gingerly and skating to the bench, before it was announced he would not return from the game.
Shortly after the incident, Brad Treliving told reporters at the start of training camp that the prospect’s recovery timeline was looking at ‘weeks’ but did not specify when Minten could play. He was then placed on season-opening IR to help the Leafs become cap complaint before the beginning of the regular season earlier this month. Minten was seen at Thursday’s morning skate in a grey jersey, indicating that he could be returning to full health.
Minten turned heads last fall when he cracked the Leafs’ roster out of training camp and managed to get in four games during the 2023-24 season before being sent back to the WHL. While some were wondering if he could do the same this time around, he never got the chance to because of the aforementioned ailment. Nonetheless, the likely outcome was going to be him beginning the season in the AHL now that he is eligible to play there, so the setback merely delayed the seemingly inevitable.
Minten will certainly be given every opportunity to succeed and get a key role on a Marlies team that is off to a flying start this year, and could be a potential call up for the Leafs. Given the Leafs are up against the cap and will need to shed salary in the coming weeks, it would not be shocking to see him back with the Leafs in a fourth-line role should he have a strong start to his season.
Our No. 2 ranked prospect is going to be a critical component of the team’s future and getting him into game action will be crucial for his development. His assignment to the Marlies is an encouraging sign that he is nearly recovered from his high-ankle sprain.
