The Maple Leafs practised at the Ford Performance Centre on Monday.
Fraser Minten wears a bracelet with the slogan "No excuses, No limits!"
"I've worn it for the past four years," he said. "It hasn't come off and every time I see it, it's a good reminder to keep working hard."
It's that mindset that helped the 19-year-old centre defy the odds and earn a spot in the Leafs opening-night lineup. General manager Brad Treliving called the Vancouver native on Sunday to let him know he'd be staying in Toronto to start the season instead of returning to the Kamloops Blazers in the Western Hockey League.
"It means everything," Minten said. "It's been a dream of mine for as long as I've been alive and playing hockey to be in a position like this."
"You can just see the smile on his face and just beaming for excitement," said captain John Tavares. "He's earned the opportunity."
Minten's first call was to his parents, who are in Kamloops, B.C., to watch his younger brother Bryce play for the Blazers.
"They're just as happy as I am, it feels like, which is really cool," Minten said. "Obviously, (I) would love to see them at some point in person and give them a hug and say, 'Thank you for everything,' and stuff like that."
Minten hasn't seen his folks since early September at Blazers training camp. They will reunite on Wednesday when the Leafs open the season against the Montreal Canadiens.
"It's hard to get here, and it's even harder to stay," Minten said of the NHL. "It's a huge step. Preseason is not the same as the regular season."
"It is going to be an ongoing evaluation as it is for any new player coming in," said coach Sheldon Keefe said. "We are a team that is competing to win. It is going to be something where we have high expectations for anybody that is in our lineup. We believe in him. We think he has earned the opportunity."
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Minten didn't see this coming. His big goal coming into this year was to make Canada's World Junior squad. The Leafs didn't see it coming either.
"It wasn't on the radar at all," Keefe readily admits.
Minten was a second round pick (38th overall) in 2022 and didn't have the same hype as other top prospects. His game is more about substance than sizzle.
"Basically all I knew is that we drafted him," said William Nylander. "That's it. That's all I really knew about him."
Midway through the preseason schedule, Minten started to entertain the idea that he could crack a Cup-contending roster.
"Maybe after those couple Montreal games [Sept. 29-30] I started to, like, really believe it," Minten said. "After those games when I was playing tough match-ups and holding my own, I kind of got the inner confidence that it was a possibility."
For Keefe, it wasn't about one game or one moment.
"It is the body of work, which never really took a step backward," Keefe said. "That is really what you are looking to see."
Minten played six preseason games. He played with and against American Hockey League players. He played with Toronto's NHL regulars and against NHL regulars. He never looked overwhelmed. He's big enough at 6-foot-2, 192 pounds and, most important, he's smart enough to make this jump.
"The foundation of his game is rooted in competitiveness, intelligence, pro habits and detail," said Keefe. "All of those are things that kids coming out of junior normally have to take time working into their game. He arrives with that."
"He's just a smart guy," said Tavares. "Always looking to pick your brain about different things. He's definitely a sponge that way. The things that he asks or things that he sees you can just understand why his game is going to translate really well."
Minten's emergence comes at a time when the Leafs have a need down the middle. Ryan O'Reilly departed in free agency, and depth centre David Kampf is limited offensively. Nylander started camp at centre to create a more balanced look, but is more comfortable on the wing. Minten's ability to slot in as the third-line centre allows Nylander to slide back to the wing on the second line with Tavares.
"It creates a good look for our lineup," said Keefe. "We've been talking about getting that additional centre."
Minten has been skating between 20-year-old Matthew Knies and veteran Calle Jarnkrok.
"I love it," he said. "There's not short-cuts with those two guys in their games. They play defensively just has hard as they forecheck. I love playing with guys like that who are just all over the ice and working as hard as they can."
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At the outset of camp, the Leafs planned to give Nylander a long look at centre. He had played the position only sparingly in the NHL and usually only when an injury created a hole.
"Moving from wing to centre is a lot more difficult on the fly than moving from centre to wing," Keefe said on Day 1 of training camp. "Giving him some time and opportunity to grow into that position through camp — and have experience and confidence to do it — gives us a chance to see what it looks like, how it affects Willy’s game, and also how it affects our team and the flow of our team."
In the end, Nylander only played two preseason games at centre.
"It was not as many reps as we anticipated, but I still think it is more than he has had in the past in terms of a consistent run, so if we feel the need to go to that, it is an easier transition for him to do so," Keefe said. "I am hoping that he takes more comfort in that if I go to it."
Nylander, who was drafted as a centre, downplayed the development.
"I mean, like, I've played centre before in my life so it's there," he said. "I think if it comes along the way during the season where Sheldon wants me to play centre then there's no problem."
That said, Nylander sounded enthused by the potential of a line with Tavares and Max Domi.
"We've had great chemistry and clicking on it every day," he said. "We feed off of each other out there."
Nylander and Domi have been together since the start of camp while Tavares joined them last week.
"Another shooter," said Domi. "John's always open it feels like and he doesn't need much to get a Grade A off. One of the top three, top five goal scorers around the net in the world for the last decade plus."
At the start of camp, Nylander noted that playing at centre may mean fewer breakaway chances. He was among the league leaders in that department last season. Tavares believes that's a byproduct of their chemistry.
"His instincts are so good to read the situation," Tavares said. "For me and him, in particular, playing together for a while now and getting a good sense of each other's game and our habits and just body language ... that allows you to read the situations like that."
Nylander scored a career high 40 goals last season. What's next?
"I don't know," he said. "Better than that, I hope."
Consistency is the key, and Nylander took a step in that department last year. His production only really slowed down near the end of the season when he scored two goals and added one assist in a 12-game stretch from mid-March to early April.
"Now I know how to deal with it, I guess," he said. "I learned from going through that last year ... You'll have a lull here and there, but just have a short one."
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Sam Lafferty started camp on a line with Tavares. But by his final practice at camp, the speedy winger found himself rotating in on the fourth line. On Sunday, the Leafs traded Lafferty, who makes $1.15-million this season, to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a fifth-round pick in 2024.
"It is tough," Keefe said. "We knew things were going to be really tight when we made some of the decisions we made in the off-season. With the way that it is, aside from [Conor] Timmins, we remained healthy in camp. That just tightened things even further. Decisions had to be made. Sam is a great team player who worked extremely hard when he was here. He is a good player and a good professional. We wish him well."
The move should allow the cap-strapped Leafs to carry an extra player above the 20-man minimum.
"There was a desire to create more flexibility and keep a bigger roster," Keefe said.
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After being felled by a high Jarnkrok shot and leaving practice early on Friday, Ilya Samsonov has been a full participant in the last two workouts.
"The puck was a little bit faster than me," Samsonov said with a laugh when asked about the practice scare. "It hit in my neck zone ... Just a little bit sore."
The practice time this week is important, because Samsonov didn't seem sharp in his final exhibition outing. He allowed three goals on 23 shots on Thursday against the Detroit Red Wings.
"I have small details where I need to get better," the 26-year-old said. "We're working on how I'm using my feet right now."
After watching Matt Murray make the opening-night start last year, Samsonov enters this season at No. 1 on the depth chart. What's the next step for him?
"I want to win the Stanley Cup," he said. "That's it for me."