Minten Gets Paid. The Centers Around Him Are Still a Problem.

The Bruins locked up Fraser Minten on a seven-year, $50.4 million extension this week, and the deal makes sense on its face. Minten posted 22 points in 51 games last season with a plus-17 rating — the best plus-minus on the roster by a wide margin — and he's exactly the kind of young center you don't let walk. Boston made the right call.

The awkward part is everything surrounding him. Elias Lindholm and Pavel Zacha both logged 17-plus minutes a night last season and both underwhelmed offensively. Zacha finished with 33 points in 49 games; Lindholm matched that total in 40. Neither is a top-six driver. Casey Mittelstadt added 23 points in 39 games. That's a center group that, outside of Minten's upside, doesn't scare anyone. I already noted this when the Minten deal was first announced — the extension is a foundation piece, not a fix.

The roster also has Dans Locmelis still on injured reserve as camp approaches, which further thins the options. The Bruins spent last season watching Pastrnak carry a points-per-game load that would rank among league leaders while the rest of the forward group couldn't keep pace — and the center position was a significant reason why. Minten's deal signals where Boston wants to go. The gap between that future and the current roster is still real.