Minten quick to make inroads with Marlies after ankle injury

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Fraser Minten hasn’t yet played a handful of games with the Toronto Marlies.

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Already, though, the 20-year-old is making a fine impression on those around him.

The Leafs’ second-round pick in the 2022 National Hockey League draft and regarded as one of the top prospects in the organization, Minten has four points in four games with the Marlies as he gets his season on track following recovery from a high ankle sprain.

There’s a lot more to Minten’s talent than a point-a-game pace.

“His intelligence, his ability to play in all zones, his knowledge of the game,” Marlies coach John Gruden said after his team lost 4-3 in a shootout against the Belleville Senators on Saturday afternoon at Scotiabank Arena.

“He just knows how to play the game the right way. I know he’s only 20, but he does a lot of good things. He stops on pucks, his details are extremely good. He’s got a good stick. He’s going to continue to get better.”

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Minten’s season stalled when he was injured in a rookie game in Montreal with the Leafs in September. He scored in the loss on Saturday — and scored in the 12-round shootout, the longest in Marlies team history — and hasn’t taken long to make the adjustment to the American Hockey League.

The experience of playing in four games with the Leafs out of camp last season before was sent back to the Western Hockey League has helped. Minten was named captain of the Kamloops Blazers and played in seven games before he was traded to the Saskatoon Blades.

“(The AHL) is another level of strength and there is a lot more consistency with all four lines,” Minten said. “Every line you are out against, they know how to play. They’re going to be strong, fast, physical, whereas in junior, you have the younger lines in the bottom six that you can manhandle. That doesn’t happen out here.”

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Marlies goalie Dennis Hildeby had a bit of a unique view of Minten.

“I’m not the best hockey scout when it comes to forwards, but he looks pretty good to me when it comes to scoring and creating chances,” Hildeby said. “I like what I’ve seen so far.”

If you’re worried about the Leafs’ depth at centre — and with captain Auston Matthews nursing an upper-body injury, it’s not great — keep in mind that Minten isn’t far off from being a full-time NHLer, as long as his development path properly continues. That shouldn’t be an issue.

“I think the frustration (in being hurt in September) was gone after an hour,” Minten said. “You can’t do anything about it.

“I’ve been progressing with each game health-wise and confidence-wise. It’s fun to be part of the team and playing hockey. It’s what I love doing, so it has been great.”

Nikita Grebenkin and Zach Solow also scored for the Marlies, who erased a 3-0 Belleville lead in the third period. The previous record for the longest shootout in Marlies history was 10 rounds, which happened three times, most recently in 2013.

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