In last week’s edition of the Maple Leafs Prospect Roundup, we took a look at the strong starts both Fraser Minten and Nikita Grebenkin were having with the Marlies and how soon they might be able to contribute to the big club. At the time, I wrote that while both players had impressed in the early going, the Leafs would likely prefer that they continue to see big minutes and hone their craft at the AHL level. Things change fast in the NHL, however, and with injuries continuing to pile up for the Leafs, general manager Brad Treliving and head coach Craig Berube were left with little choice but to insert both Minten and Grebenkin into the Leafs’ lineup.
Wednesday night against Vegas marked Minten’s season debut, as well as Grebenkin’s NHL debut, and both players made an impact in what turned out to be a 3-0 victory for the Leafs. Minten opened the scoring with his first NHL goal, finding a soft spot in coverage and burying a fantastic feed from William Nylander, and that stood up as the winner against the Golden Knights. Grebenkin was held off the scoresheet, but he was a noticeable physical presence, and he set up a couple of quality scoring chances throughout the game as well.
After another injury to Matthew Knies in the second period of that game, Minten was elevated even higher, taking over the net-front role on the Leafs’ top power play unit. Having Minten go from the AHL to a spot on the Leafs’ top power play group in such short order speaks to the level of injury troubles the Leafs are experiencing at the moment, but it also speaks to how the club feels about Minten and his potential on this team moving forward.
Minten added an assist on the man advantage against Utah on Sunday, but it came off one of a handful of grade-A opportunities that he was unable to capitalize on near the blue paint. If there’s any knock on Minten, it’s that he isn’t a high-end offensive threat, so converting those chances more consistently is an area that he will need to improve upon, but it’s the rest of his game that should continue to afford him those opportunities.
Despite being a recent call-up, it’s clear that Minten is a player the coaching staff trusts to do things the right way. It is rare to see him on the wrong side of the puck, he does a good job of supporting play in all three zones, and he works like a dog to get back when the opposition has a chance off the rush. There were a couple of occasions against Vegas where his effort on the back check negated a quality chance for the Golden Knights, and one such occasion eventually led to a Nylander goal on the power play that iced the game for the Leafs.
After an impressive debut, Grebenkin was held to less than eight minutes of ice time in a penalty-filled affair against Utah, but Minten has been used in all situations and is averaging around 15 minutes of ice time through his first two NHL games of the season. Grebenkin is almost certainly destined to return to the Marlies if and when the Leafs start to get healthy up front, and Minten is too, but he could present an interesting predicament if he maintains this level of play.
Even before they had seven regulars on the shelf, it was no secret that the Leafs weren’t getting enough out of their third and fourth lines – particularly at the centre position. It’s only been two games, but after an impressive start to the season with the Marlies, Minten has looked like a reliable NHL pivot. Considering the Leafs’ lack of depth down the middle, there could be a temptation to keep Minten with the big club for an extended period to see if he can be the answer at third line centre. Whether that’s best for his long-term development is up for debate, but when the Leafs start to get some bodies back, Minten won’t see the same kind of playing time or offensive deployment that he would with the Marlies, and that could negatively impact his overall upside.
What seems clear already is that Minten has a pretty safe floor as an NHL player. He has been lauded for his intelligence and maturity, as well as his refined habits away from the puck, and he could certainly stand to learn a lot from being around the Leafs’ stars in these formative years of his career. If he continues to look like he belongs at the top level, the Leafs will have an interesting decision on their hands when it comes to balancing what is best for the team right now and what is best for Minten in the long term.
Notes from the rest of the prospect pool:
- Easton Cowan’s regular-season point streak has now lasted for over a full calendar year, but it nearly came to an end against the Kitchener Rangers last Tuesday. Still without a point in the final minute of the game, Cowan missed a shot at the empty net before making a strong play to win the puck back and slide one home with 30 seconds left on the clock. He added a pair of assists against Owen Sound on Friday and another against Saginaw on Saturday to extend his streak to 54 games, but the streak was put on hold as he missed Sunday’s game with a lower-body injury. There has been no update on the extent of his injury, but there should be some clarification before the Knights are back in action on Thursday.
- Noah Chadwick busted a three-game pointless drought with a pair of assists in a shootout loss to Seattle on Saturday, bringing him up to four goals and 14 assists in 20 games so far this season. He is still in consideration for a spot on the Canadian roster for the upcoming World Juniors, but it looks like it’s going to be an uphill battle for the Hurricanes’ captain, even with Lethbridge’s GM at the helm for Team Canada.
- Much like the Leafs, the Marlies have gotten great goaltending to start the season, and Artur Akhtyamov has been a huge part of that. He stopped all 23 shots he faced against San Jose on Saturday to pick up his second shutout of the season, pushing his record to 6-0-1 to go along with a 1.68 GAA and .935 SV% through his first seven appearances in the AHL. Between Akhtyamov and Dennis Hildeby, the future of the Leafs’ crease is looking like it’s in good shape.
- Nick Moldenhauer has gotten off to a slow start after stepping into a more prominent role in his sophomore season at Michigan, but he has been productive over the Wolverines’ last few games. Over the last four games, he has registered a goal and two helpers, but that gives him just five points through 10 games. More was expected out of Moldenhauer in his second year of college hockey, and he’ll need to step up his level of play in the second half.
- Roni Hirvonen had a solid week as the Marlies were depleted with all the call-ups to the NHL, netting a goal and an assist while firing eight shots on goal over the course of three games. The 2020 second-rounder is now up to three goals and five assists through 16 games as he looks to put an injury-plagued rookie season in the rearview mirror.
- Sam McCue is starting to become a regular in the Maple Leafs Prospect Roundup, and for good reason. The 2024 seventh-round pick has been lighting the lamp at an elite rate for the Owen Sound Attack so far this season, including six goals in his last four games. For the season, he is currently tied for sixth in the OHL goal-scoring race with 16 through his first 21 games. Already a menacing physical presence, McCue’s goal-scoring outburst could propel him up the organizational depth chart as a potential bottom six forward down the road.
- Miroslav Holinka has adapted well in his first year of North American hockey, and he recorded three assists in three games this past week, which brought him to 10 goals and 11 assists in 21 games with the Edmonton Oil Kings. He has played primarily in their top six and he could end up filling a similar role for Czechia at the upcoming World Juniors.
