Bombshell in Toronto: Maple Leafs Shake Up Roster with Shocking Moves Involving Red-Hot Prospect!
The Toronto Maple Leafs made two roster moves on Monday, assigning forward Fraser Minten to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies and recalling defenseman Dakota Mermis.
The decision allows Minten, the No. 2 prospect in Toronto’s pipeline, to get more ice time in the AHL while opening the door for Mermis to potentially make his Maple Leafs debut.
Mermis’ opportunity comes after fellow Maple Leafs blueliner Oliver Ekman-Larsson missed Monday’s practice “due to maintenance,” per Sportsnet’s Luke Fox.
Ekman-Larsson exited Toronto’s game against Edmonton on Saturday with a lower-body injury. If Ekman-Larsson remains out, Mermis could see action during the team’s road trip, per Fox.
Mermis, 31, suffered a jaw injury in training camp and was later placed on waivers, where he was claimed by the Utah Hockey Club. After playing one game, he was placed on waivers again and re-claimed by the Maple Leafs on Jan. 3.
The veteran defenseman has 75 career NHL games, including 47 last season with the Minnesota Wild, where he registered three goals and eight points.
Meanwhile, with Toronto’s forward group at full health, Minten was already a healthy scratch against the Edmonton Oilers on Feb. 1. The 20-year-old has recorded scored points in 15 NHL games this season, along with 10 points in 16 AHL appearances.
Minten’s reassignment comes amid speculation about his future in Toronto. NHL analyst Justin Bourne recently suggested that the Maple Leafs may need to include Minten or top prospect Easton Cowan in a trade to acquire a high-impact player before the Mar. 7 deadline.
“Minten is a guy who would get another team excited,” Bourne wrote for Sportsnet on Friday. “He can play in the NHL today and is, at worst, a very high IQ two-way third-line center.”
