Fraser Minten is off to a strong start with the Bruins after the Leafs traded him away

Fraser Minten scored twice for the Boston Bruins last night. The Maple Leafs traded him away, and they're going to hear about it all season.

Boston rolled to a 6-3 win in San Jose, and the young forward was everywhere, firing 4 shots on goal.

He logged 18:41 and went plus-4. Coaches don't hand those minutes to a passenger.

Seven games into the season, Minten owns 4 goals and a point per game. One of those goals already stands as a game-winner.

Marco Sturm keeps sending him over the boards in big moments. The kid keeps answering, and he's a plus-6 on the year.

And Boston didn't wait around. A seven-year, $7.2M extension at age 22 tells you exactly how Don Sweeney views this player.

Toronto's bottom six is exposing the Minten trade

Now look at Toronto. Teddy Blueger and Brandon Duhaime have both dressed for all 7 games and are still looking for their first point.

Benoit-Olivier Groulx has been held scoreless through 5 appearances. That's the bottom of the lineup Jim Hiller is stuck working with right now.

John Tavares is still producing at 36. But he's a minus-5, and the clock doesn't stop for anybody.

So who exactly is the next young forward pushing for those minutes? The Leafs needed one. They already had one.

Toronto sits 3-3-1 after a 5-4 loss in Utah last night. The defensive zone has been leaking, with 23 goals allowed so far.

Boston, meanwhile, is riding a three-game win streak with a +10 goal differential.

This is the worst mistake the Leafs have made with a young player in a long time, and Minten's start is making the case for me.

It's like selling your house the spring before a subway stop opens down the street. Somebody else collects the payoff, and you get to drive past it every day.

Even Toronto's own voices are wincing. In a clip circulating Wednesday, Steve Dangle squeezes his eyes shut and raises a hand at the mic like he's begging the room to stop.

The cap math stings too. Minten's hit this season is $879,168, the kind of value contenders spend years trying to find.

Toronto hosts Buffalo on Thursday. Boston heads to Anaheim on Friday to open a road trip.

Then comes Nov. 27, when the Leafs visit Boston for the first time this season. Somebody on that visiting bench is going to have to watch Minten take a shift.

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