What should the Toronto Maple Leafs do with Easton Cowan?

The Toronto Maple Leafs are headed into a critical offseason. Superstar Mitch Marner is unlikely to return to the team and is seeking a contract worth north of $14M. The Maple Leafs also have notable players to re-sign, such as Matthew Knies and possibly John Tavares. This doesn’t include all the holes that still need to be filled.

The Maple Leafs are in a tough spot because they don’t have many assets to work with. They have no first-round picks until 2028 and have limited valuable prospects, such as Ben Danford or, perhaps most enticing, Easton Cowan.

With Auston Matthews having three years left on his contract, should the Leafs go all-in and move Easton Cowan? Or can they expect him to produce during their current window?

The Easton Cowan hype

Cowan has an interesting skill set. He is fast, has excellent hockey sense, and plays with an intensity and grit that the Maple Leafs desperately need, especially come playoff time. Cowan is projected to be a middle-six forward. But prospects are magic beans. He has shown the skill and tools at the junior level necessary to possibly slot higher in an NHL lineup.

In 175 career OHL games, Cowan has 84 goals and 136 assists for 220 points, averaging 1.26 PPG. In 60 career playoff games with the London Knights, Cowan has 32 goals and 64 assists for 96 points, elevating to a 1.60 PPG pace. Cowan is currently the all-time Knights franchise leader in playoff points and second in playoff points in OHL history behind Wayne Groulx. Cowan also had a 65-game point streak that stretched over two seasons.

In the last two years, Cowan has won several accolades. He has won the Ed Chynoweth Award for the most points in the CHL Memorial Cup and has had the most points in the OHL playoffs for two consecutive years. In 2023–24, Cowan was the recipient of the Red Tilson trophy for the OHL Most Outstanding Player, the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award for OHL Playoffs MVP, and had the most OHL playoffs assists. This past season, Cowan won the Stafford Smythe trophy for the CHL Memorial Cup Most Valuable Player.

Cowan has helped lead the London Knights to win back-to-back OHL championships and helped the Knights win their third Memorial Cup in franchise history this past season. There is no question that Cowan is at his all-time highest value.

Arguments for moving Easton Cowan

There have been many prolific OHL players who either fail to live up to expectations, actualize their potential, or never make it to the NHL. How many of you heard of Wayne Groulx, the all-time OHL playoff point leader, before reading this article? He played one NHL game with the Quebec Nordiques. 

With Cowan at his all-time highest value, it’s the perfect time to move him for maximum return.  I think Maple Leafs management should move him only if they are getting a very good player in return. Everyone should be on the table (except maybe Knies) to be traded if it makes the team better.

The Maple Leafs would need to get a player who fits their playoff contention window, which coincides with Matthews’ contract. With Nylander likely playing with Matthews on the top right wing next year, the Maple Leafs likely need to fill the second-line right wing. 

Asking Cowan to step in and fill that hole is asking too much. So, if you can get a good second-line right winger back that can help you win now, then it may make sense to move Cowan.

Arguments against moving Easton Cowan

On the flip side, while the Maple Leafs have some assets to play with, there aren’t many decent free agents this offseason. Does Treliving simply buy one-year stop gaps and wait until free agency next season? While this may force the Leafs to take a step back this season, this could potentially work out better for them in the long term if they were to land better free agents next offseason.

With what we have seen with Cowan, there is a chance he could outperform expectations. Fraser Minten ended up playing 15 games for the Maple Leafs last season and looked as decent as a third-line rookie could on a playoff contender. Cowan is a year younger than Minten and has yet to play in the AHL. Toronto was already set on the wings last year, whereas they needed centre depth, which gave Minten the opportunity.

It’s not the best comparison as Minten is further along in the development cycle. However, there is a real opportunity for Cowan to play games for the Maple Leafs this upcoming season. He could start with the Marlies and, if he performs well, force a call-up to the big club. This would allow Cowan to potentially slot in on the third line, providing him with NHL experience and giving the Maple Leafs’ coaching staff the opportunity to evaluate him.

The verdict

Unless the offer for Cowan is too good to pass up, I think the Maple Leafs should hold on to him. In the worst-case scenario, you can make a trade deadline acquisition before the playoffs and then move Cowan. However, this gives some time to see if he is ready to take the next developmental step.

What do you think the Maple Leafs should do with Cowan? Trade him? Keep him? Let us know your thoughts below!