Minten faces big test in unlikely bid to make Leafs

The Maple Leafs held an optional skate at Scotiabank Arena on Thursday. 

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Fraser Minten appreciated the chance to accompany the Maple Leafs on their team-bonding trip this week.

"It's surreal," the 19-year-old said with a smile. "You're looking around, seeing who's sitting at a table with you and you're like, 'Oh my God, this is pretty cool.' If you told me two years ago I'd be here, I wouldn't believe you."

Belief in Minten is growing by the moment at training camp as the Kamloops Blazers centre makes an unlikely bid for a roster spot. The Leafs will dress their top players in Thursday's penultimate pre-season game against the Detroit Red Wings and Minten will start as the third-line centre.

"That's a different type of rhythm and different type of feel than what he's had in the other games," noted coach Sheldon Keefe. "I intend to play him a lot tonight, but playing a lot tonight will feel different than playing a lot on some of the other nights."

Minten posted a goal and three assists in four exhibition outings. In those previous games, Toronto did not dress its strongest lineup.

"I don't really feel any pressure," Minten insisted. "This is just an amazing opportunity to me. It wasn't necessarily something I expected coming in to be here at this stage and getting the opportunity I am, so I don't feel like I can lose out there tonight no matter how it goes."

Thursday will mark Minten’s second-ever game inside Scotiabank Arena and first at this camp.

In order to given Minten an extended look, the Leafs are moving William Nylander back to the wing on the second line on Thursday.

Keefe calls Minten’s development "remarkable" over the last year.

"He definitely wasn't really on the radar," the coach admits. "Some people, internally, were talking to me and saying they thought Minten was really going to show well here and surprise us in some ways, and he's certainly done that in terms of the step that he's taken."

Minten’s mind is his greatest asset as the 6-foot-2, 192 pound Vancouver native looks to take one more giant step and earn a spot on a Cup-contending team.

"He's a really smart player," said defenceman Morgan Rielly. "He has a good understanding for the game and how to play his position. He just looks stronger than he was last year and he's skating much better but, ultimately, I think his brain is on his side. He's a smart player, so when he's out there he's able to find space and make plays."

"The way I play is smart hockey," Minten said. "The more you can manage the puck, put it in their end more than yours, get it out of yours, that helps tilt the ice. I think the way I play is built for pro, so that helps me."

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Minten likes to share his hockey IQ with teammates and Keefe has lauded his leadership ability. However, it may be tough to be as vocal when rubbing shoulders with veterans like John Tavares, Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner.

"If you're first breaking in, you don't want to over push with being too vocal or anything," Minten said. "But just going to be myself out there and see what happens ... I was always like that. I just love hockey, want to win, want everyone else to do well so just speak [up]. It helps with the camaraderie and playing as a group."

Playing alongside another youngster may also help on Thursday. Minten will start between 20-year-old Matthew Knies and Calle Jarnkrok. Minten and Knies have found some instant chemistry at this camp.

"We just love to be pests out there," said Knies. "We like to forecheck a lot. We like to play on offence, and we know each other really well out there. It's nice to play with someone with really good hockey sense that can make plays and find you in places that others can't."

Jarnkrok will be playing his first pre-season game after dealing with a neck injury early in camp.

While Minten is trying to earn a spot, Knies appears to be a lock to start in Toronto's top nine. Thursday will be his sixth pre-season game.

"Playing all these pre-season games, it's helped me build some confidence and get to understand the NHL game a little bit better," he said. "Yeah, I think I'm ready."

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John Klingberg joined the Leafs for Thursday's optional skate. It was the 31-year-old defenceman’s first on-ice work with teammates since suffering an upper-body injury on Sept. 27. Klingberg is expected to be ready for the season opener.

"That's the plan," Keefe confirmed. "I think he's eager to maybe get a game in on Saturday [in the pre-season finale] because things went really for him out there today. That may be a little bit fast, but it seems like we'll be able to get him in practice tomorrow and make a determination from there. Certainly, [he's] trending towards being available next week."

Toronto opens the regular season against Montreal on Wednesday.

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The Leafs went 1-for-5 on the power play in Monday night's game against Montreal. The players are still adjusting to new assistant coach Guy Boucher and a couple systematic tweaks.

"They were all over the net, scored a big goal early in the game, and then had a ton of opportunities, some clean looks, so lots to like there," said Keefe. "If you want to take anything away from those guys playing together in these pre-season games, especially with a new power-play coach, you want to see them get some rhythm and get their touches. That's an important part of these games for me."

The top unit allowed a shorthanded goal on Monday.

"Maybe give a little bit of time to the second unit to get out there every now and again too if it's not working," Keefe noted. "That is an important thing."

With Klingberg out, Rielly has reclaimed his spot as the quarterback on the top unit.

"You want to keep building chemistry," Rielly said. "We have a good idea what the structure is. Guy's done a really good job in the meetings and explaining things extremely well. For us, it's just about execution and work ethic and trying to build that chemistry."

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Natural centre Pontus Holmberg will get a look on the left side of the fourth line on Thursday night.

"We haven't used him on wing much, but it's good timing with us giving Minten the opportunity up the middle," Keefe said. "It's a good chance for us to get Holmberg on the wing and give him some reps there. I'm confident in his ability to play centre and it's great depth and a great option to have. But with the way that it's been shaking out, there may be opportunity on the wings available to compete for and want to give him an opportunity to do that. He hasn't played much wing. I do think it's a much easier transition for a centre to go play wing."

Noah Gregor, who is at camp on a pro tryout, has skated in the fourth-line spot alongside David Kampf and Ryan Reaves during most of the pre-season. Gregor will not suit up on Thursday.

Holmberg picked up 13 points in 37 games with the Leafs last season and Keefe has come to appreciate the 24-year-old Swede's subtle game.

"His camp, kind of like last season, it's a quiet camp, not a whole lot that's going to jump out," Keefe said. "But you really watch his game and there's a lot of detail and a lot of things that are reliable about his game."

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Thursday's game will likely be the last dress rehearsal for Toronto's top players before the regular season opens.

"It's important that we play hard," Rielly said. "I think we want to take another step this pre-season. We're getting down to the short strokes and we're playing for real in a week, so it's a good opportunity for our guys to improve and feel really good and take steps and [show] a bit more intensity. I would expect our group to be playing full tilt."

The Leafs blew a 4-2 lead in the third period before losing to the Canadiens on Monday.

"Whether it is pre-season or not, if you have a lead you have to take care of the game and win the game," Keefe said after that performance. "Just a sloppy game, not taking care of the puck well, and being a little too cute with it. Those are things that — pre-season or not — you like to think we're past a lot of that stuff."

Ilya Samsonov starts on Thursday and will play the full game. Joseph Woll will get the start on Saturday in Detroit when Toronto is expected to dress a weaker lineup.

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Projected lineup for Thursday's game: 

Bertuzzi - Matthews - Marner

Domi - Tavares - Nylander

Knies - Minten - Jarnkrok

Holmberg - Kampf - Reaves

Rielly - Brodie

McCabe - Benoit

Giordano - Liljegren

Samsonov starts

Woll

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Detroit roster for Thursday's game:

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