While the jury is still out on most Bruins prospects, it is pretty clear that Fraser Minten is going to be a National Hockey League player.

The question is just what kind of NHL hockey player is he going to be?

Minten, obtained from the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Brandon Carlo trade, has shown a precocious hockey sense since arriving in the Bruins’ organization, playing on the right side of pucks more often than not.

That preternatural hockey IQ belies the fact that he’s just 20 years old – and has the baby face to prove it. He’s also got the body to match the face, and strength is the one area that interim coach Joe Sacco sees Minten needing to improve. That should come with time, but the 6-foot-2, 195-pound centerman will need to work at it, too.

“Probably the No. 1 thing will be his strength that he builds up over the summer, just the importance of getting stronger in this league. He’s still only 20 years old and the time that he puts in, the commitment he makes to his fitness in the offseason is going to pay dividends for him coming into next year,” said Sacco on Saturday. “Typically when you get stronger, your legs get stronger, your core gets stronger, you become a little bit faster, too, and you get stronger on pucks. I would say that’s the one thing right now. The hockey sense seems to be in a good spot. He processes things fairly quick, whether we’re trying to teach something or he sees something himself. He sees things pretty quickly from there. For a young player, he does play on the right side of the puck, which is not easy to teach young guys, but he tilts a little more that way. But he’s also creating some offense. He had a breakaway last game off a neutral zone forecheck. He scored the other night in New Jersey and I thought that line (with Riley Duran and Marat Khusnutdinov) played well.”

Minten, who scored his first goal as a Bruin in New Jersey on Tuesday, is confident that he belongs here, but not satisfied.

“I feel like I can play out there at this time, but I don’t want to just play. I want to be impactful and consistent and produce,” said Minten after the team’s Brighton practice before jetting off to Pittsburgh. “I feel like getting stronger will only help with that. Inevitably it will come with age. You see all the best players are usually in that 24 to 30 kind of range and the faster I can get my body into that man’s body, the faster I’ll be able to impact the game at a higher level.”

Minten, who had a game-high five shots in the B’s loss to Chicago on Thursday, feels like his game is improving with each outing and he’s starting to feel more comfortable on and off the ice.

“The last game I did a better job of holding onto some pucks in the O-zone, not just chipping and throwing everything (deep). Not bad plays but just overcautious a little bit maybe and last game I did a better of creating a little more,” said Minten. “And with the guys every day, it’s just more comfortable, just getting to know the guys, getting to know the rink, the environment. A week in, it feels a lot better than Day One.”

And it’s by no accident that Minten’s was placed in the stall next to David Pastrnak’s at Warrior Ice Arena and the Garden.

“He’s a stud and he’s a really good guy, too, really humble. He doesn’t look down on anybody even though he easily could,” said Minten. “He’s the best player in this room. He’s very supportive and encouraging and helpful, a real good leader and obviously an outstanding player.”

Another thing Minten can stand to improve on is his faceoffs, especially if he’s going to be that reliable two-way center he’s expected to be. In the 15 games he played with the Maple Leafs this year, he won 53 draws and lost 58 while in the small sample size with the B’s he’s 17 up and 25 down.

“When you’re digging in down low across from the (Sidney) Crosbys or the (Evgeni) Malkins (Sunday), those guys are strong,” said Sacco. “Part of it is timing, part of it is strength, part of it is experience, too. As time goes on, you get a little bit better. You understand what you can get away and what you can’t get away with. Typically the younger guys,, they don’t get away with as much as the experienced players. And he’ll figure that out, too, as he goes along.”

Said Minten: “I have to continue working on the technique. There are guys out there feeding their kids with faceoffs. It’s a big step up from juniors, so it’s a skill you’ve got to practice. It’ll come with time…. And when you’re a younger guy, you can get the short end of the stick with the timing.”

While the NHL games Minten is getting now can give him a good barometer for how he matches up against NHL talent – and an opportunity for management to show fans the cupboard is not completely bare – he should get an even better chance at further development after the B’s season finale on Tuesday. He’ll return to Providence and have an opportunity to go on a run in the Calder Cup playoffs with the Baby B’s.

“I love playoffs. It’s why I play. I think we have a really good team, especially our forward group is one of the best in the league. Hopefully we can go deep. I think we have a good chance,” said Minten.

“Every year since I’ve played major junior (in Kamloops and Saskatoon), my team’s gone to the third round. I’m used to it and that’s where I want to be playing this time and continue to play until the early summer. I think those are the bet games for getting better, too. You learn little details of the game that matter. When you learn how to play winning hockey, you learn how to play hockey. That really pushes you to become the best player. I’m pumped.”