Shortly after Fraser Minten signed a seven-year, $50.4 million extension with the Boston Bruins in September, the 22-year-old talked about earning a role through his actions, not his new deal. 

“I think you got to earn that through time and you know, you get respect through your actions, not through your contract,” Minten said. “So continue to work hard and be a good teammate and gain the respect of everyone and become a leader that way.” 

Minten’s new $7.2M AAV deal does not kick in until the start of the 2027-28 season, but he is already giving the Bruins reasons to be optimistic about their long-term commitment.

Through seven games this season, Minten is a point-per-game player. He ranks second on the team with seven points (4-3–7), only behind David Pastrnak with eight (2-6–8). He has combined for three multi-point nights, including a two-goal showing in San Jose on Tuesday night. 

“It’s difficult,” Minten said after Tuesday’s game when asked about finding consistency in his game. “Work in progress.”

“It’s just happening right now,” Sturm said of Minten on Tuesday. “But again, it always goes back to being at the right spot at the right time. I think that is it. And again, playing so smart. I think he’s going to get the opportunities, and right now, they go in.”

Minten started the season on the Bruins’ kid line, skating in the middle of Marat Khusnutdinov and James Hagens. After dropping two straight games, Marco Sturm put the lines into a blender and moved Minten and Khusnutdinov to the second line with JJ Peterka. Together, they own a 52.63% share of shots, and they have outscored opponents 5-1 in 28:30 together at 5-on-5. 

“Yeah, it’s good,” Minten said about playing with his linemates. “[It’s] only been a few games, but those guys are so fast and smart, so yeah, it’s fun.” 

Minten’s early-season production has been impressive, but the improvements in his game go well beyond the scoresheet. After playing all 82 games with Boston last season (17-18–35), Minten has taken another step in his development, and Sturm has noticed the difference in his skating and strength.

“I don’t know where to start,” Marco Sturm said after the game on Saturday. “I feel like he has more power in his legs. He skates better. And yeah, there’s just a combination, I would say, of everything. I can’t really pick one thing. It’s just overall, he was almost like a baby last year. Now he’s growing into a grown man. I think that’s just part of it.” 

Fraser Minten on how his game has changed from last season: 

“Yeah, probably. It would be hard to say exactly how, but feel good out there. Feel fast, feel like I can make plays and contribute while still being good and responsible defensively. So I feel like the game’s growing… pic.twitter.com/Mfz7rmj9bl

— Jack Studley (@jackstudley13) October 10, 2026

The Bruins are high on Minten. The contract proves that. At the end-of-season press conference in May, Bruins president Cam Neely acknowledged the Bruins’ need for a true No. 1 center, but also spoke highly of the team’s two in-house candidates, including Minten. Neely even described Minten as “more like Bergy” with his 200-foot game. 

Minten has been given a bigger role this season, and part of that is due to the lack of a true No. 1 guy blocking a spot in front of him. Sturm sees that potential in Minten, but he is not putting that pressure on him just yet. 

“Yeah, he’s definitely on his way,” Sturm said after the game on Tuesday. “The way he plays and thinks the game is very impressive at his age, and yeah, we try to push him every day. Not [to be] a number one [center]. No. Just try to be the best he can, and right now, it’s been pretty fun to watch.”

At the season-opening press conference, Cam Neely rattled off six players who would join the newly named captain as part of the leadership group. Minten, who was 20 days removed from signing his new deal, was the fifth name listed, joining the likes of Nikita Zadorov, Tanner Jeannot, Hampus Lindholm, Morgan Geekie, and Charlie McAvoy. 

Minten is the youngest player in that group by six years, but the Bruins already see him as an important part of the team’s leadership. McAvoy, who missed the first six games due to a suspension, noted Minten’s improvement both on and off the ice after his first game back. 

“Yeah, night and day,” McAvoy said of Minten. “I mean, honestly, yeah, he was already amazing last year, and we saw glimpses of what he could be in the future. But I think the biggest thing is him finding his voice, which is amazing. We wanted to bring him into the leadership group and, you know, see him flourish because he has that personality.”

“We’re going to lean on him a lot. He’s a great two-way player, and he’s a big part of what we’re trying to build here.” 

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