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Jake McCabe, Toronto Maple Leafs (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Maple Leafs News & Rumours: Cowan, Knies, McCabe, McMann & OEL

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By The Old Prof | Last updated Jan 22, 2026 2:55 PM ET

Wednesday night’s 2-1 Toronto Maple Leafs overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings felt like a playoff game. It was tight, physical, and played at a pace that left very little margin for error. For long stretches, the Maple Leafs looked every bit the Red Wings’ equal, which matters given the gap in the standings.

Toronto carried play in the second period, Detroit owned much of the third, and both goaltenders had moments where they flat-out stole momentum. In the end, the Maple Leafs earned a point, but it came at a cost — both in energy and confidence.

Item One: The Lessons Are Coming Fast for Easton Cowan

Easton Cowan is learning the NHL the hard way, which is usually the right way. Another offensive-zone penalty and a turnover that ended the game in overtime are the kinds of mistakes rookies make when the pace speeds up, and space disappears. Those moments sting, especially in games that matter.

What gets lost if the focus stays on mistakes is how well Cowan is actually playing. His puck decisions are usually clean, his vision is advanced for his age, and he’s not shying away from physical areas. The underlying numbers back it up. He’s put up a strong goal share, positive expected goals, and solid high-danger results at five-on-five. He already understands the value of getting back hard without the puck, something many young players never quite learn.

The growth curve feels familiar. Not the same player, but a similar progression path to Matthew Knies. Cowan’s ceiling looks like a play-driving distributor who can survive heavy minutes. In fact, down the road, the idea of him and Knies on a line together doesn’t feel far-fetched.

Item Two: Jake McCabe and the Weight of Minutes

Jake McCabe hasn’t looked like himself lately, and the numbers support what the eye test is showing. After sitting at plus-26 earlier in the month, he’s now gone six straight games on the wrong side of the ledger, posting a minus-9 while averaging close to 24 minutes a night.

This feels less about decision-making and more about wear and tear. McCabe plays a hard, physical style, and at 32, the accumulated minutes matter. That’s especially true during a compressed and exhausting stretch of the schedule. When legs go, reads get slower and gaps disappear faster. It’s not a crisis, but it’s a reminder that the blue line is being pushed to its limits right now.

Item Three: Bobby McMann Is Back Between the Bursts

Bobby McMann remains one of the harder Maple Leafs to pin down. He’s in one of his quieter stretches, with two goals in his last eight games after producing at nearly a point-per-game pace before that. Against the Red Wings, the speed that usually defines his game didn’t quite show up, and he looked a half-step behind the play.

This has been the pattern: hot runs followed by cooler ones. The question for Toronto isn’t whether McMann can produce; he’s shown that he can. Now, can he smooth out the valleys? With injuries mounting and fatigue creeping in, secondary scoring consistency matters more than ever.

What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?

The standings aren’t forgiving, but the performance against Detroit showed Toronto isn’t out of its depth against playoff-calibre teams. The problem is sustainability. Fatigue is showing, roles are stretching, and the margin for mistakes is shrinking.

The immediate focus shifts to roster management and energy conservation. How do the Maple Leafs figure out how to survive this stretch without bleeding points? Looming over all of it is the question already hanging in the air: how will the Maple Leafs cope if Oliver Ekman-Larrson (their most reliable defenseman) misses time?