The Bruins didn’t just get a prospect when they sent Brandon Carlo to Toronto in March of 2025. They landed a player who now sounds very much like he wants to plant himself in Boston for the long haul.
Fraser Minten, who came over in that deal along with a protected first-round pick and a fourth-rounder in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, said he sees Boston as a place he’d like to stay. The first-rounder ended up becoming especially valuable in theory before Toronto’s late-season slide sent it to the lottery and changed the shape of the return.
Minten’s own rise is the bigger story now. After a strong 2025-26 season - his first full year as a pro - the 22-year-old heads into the upcoming campaign as a restricted free agent, and he made his preference clear in comments to Jim McBride of the Boston Globe.
“Boston has done nothing but treat me super well and I really enjoy wearing the logo,” Minten said. “So, that would be something that would be super appealing to me for sure.”
Boston’s gamble on Minten is looking better by the day. The second-round pick Toronto used on him in the 2022 Entry Draft played every game last season for the Black and Gold and brought more than expected on both sides of the puck. He finished with 17 goals and 18 assists, posted a plus-21 rating, averaged 15:33 per night, and even found himself in key late-game spots for first-year head coach Marco Sturm, including important faceoff work.
That kind of season puts the Bruins in a straightforward spot: keep him in the fold. There are also rules set to take effect this month before training camp that could affect any deal Minten signs, making the timing worth watching.
The broader trade already looks like a win for Boston. Carlo is no longer in Toronto after being moved to the St.
Louis Blues to reunite with head coach Jim Montgomery, and Maple Leafs fans were left frustrated both by the deal itself and by what followed. If Don Sweeney had the chance to revisit the move, the source of the return is clear enough: he’d do it again.
Now the focus turns to making sure Minten stays.
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Former Bruins Still Waiting As Training Camp Gets Closer
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Among the veterans still unsigned are Matt Grzelcyk, Mike Reilly and James van Riemsdyk, all of whom remain in free agency with camp drawing closer. If they are going to crack an NHL roster in the coming weeks, a professional tryout contract could wind up being the most realistic route back into a camp setting. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Playoff Hopes Suddenly Feel More Fragile In The Atlantic
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That is why a recent look at the teams most likely to disappoint in 2026-27 felt a little telling for Boston, even in absence. Joe Yerdons list included Buffalo, Florida, Ottawa and Detroit, but the Bruins were not on it at all, despite the limited upgrades and the broader uncertainty hanging over the division. For a club trying to stay in the playoff mix, being overlooked as a possible underperformer can be its own kind of warning sign. [Read more 🡒]