Fraser Minten addressing the media on Friday after being taken 38th overall by Toronto (Image Credit: NHL)

By Chad Klassen

2022 NHL DRAFT

Blazers land most NHL Draft selections since 2004

Jul 8, 2022 | 1:15 PM

KAMLOOPS — Fraser Minten got the Blazers draft train on Friday morning started when his name was called in the second round, 38th overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Some pundits felt Minten went a little too early, but Minten was high on the Leafs’ list. The 18-year-old centre says he’s happy to get the chance to play for a Canadian team.

“It was unbelievable, the Leafs especially, it’s one of the best organizations in the NHL, one of the most fun to watch. It’s amazing. I’m super excited about this opportunity,” he said to the media after being drafted. “I think I’m a smart hockey player, I think I’m a good two-way player, I think I defend really well. I’m good at offense as well. I think I’m very versatile as a player and can bring a lot to all the areas of the game.”

Minten finished the year with 20 goals and 35 assists, adding six goals and 10 assists during the team’s run to the conference final.

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Minten returns to Kamloops for the Memorial Cup season, but admitted after being drafted it will be a few years before he has a chance to suit up with the Leafs.

“I think I’ve got a couple years, two or three years, and probably a year or two in the minors to go still,” he noted. “I think I’ve got lots of room to develop physically still. I think there are lots of areas in my game where I can continue to improve before I’m ready to jump to the pros, so I’m not a guy who will step in right away, especially on a roster like the Leafs that has so much talent and are contenders right now. Hopefully [I will] continue to get better during the seasons and summers and making the jump sooner than later.”

The second Blazers taken in the draft was defenseman Mats Lindgren, who dropped to the fourth round where Buffalo took him 106th overall.

Lindgren is looking forward to learning from the likes of fellow Swedish defenseman and 2018 first overall pick Rasmus Dahlin.

“Oh it’s amazing,” said Lindgren. “Even just learning from those [Sabres] when I get [to Buffalo] is going to be amazing. I think they have such a high ceiling. They’re such good players. That makes me even more hungry to work even harder and become even better.”

It was two rounds later, in the sixth, where two more Blazers landed on NHL teams. At 174th overall, the 19-year-old Daylan Kuefler was taken by the New York Islanders. After being passed up in the draft last year, Kuefler came back and scored 38 goals.

Five picks later, carrying on the tradition of Blazers being taken by Tom Gaglardi’s Stars, Matthew Seminoff heard his name at 179th.

The four NHL Draft selections is the most Blazers since five were taken in the 2004 Draft — Devan Dubnyk, Roman Tesliuk, Kris Hogg, Moises Gutierrez and Max Gordichuk.

Kamloops also has the longest Western Hockey League streak with at least one player drafted into the NHL in 11 straight years.