Brad Treliving Could Be Holding Off on a Trade Because of One Player
Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving hasn't made a deal yet but it could be part of his plan as he might have a wait and see attitude when it comes to prospect Easton Cowan.
With a lot of discussion about how the lineup will shape up for the Maple Leafs come the 2025-26 season, it's becoming more about who is the best fit as opposed to whether or not they have enough bodies.
Depth doesn't seem to be an issue however the scoring potential could be, and with lot of concerns that they won't be able to be as strong as last year without Mitch Marner, it looks like a trade is going to be inevitable.
Or is it?
Why the Maple Leafs Might Be Holding Back on a Trade Right Now
With the potential of Easton Cowan to make the squad out of training camp and preseason this year, it might be a matter of Treliving waiting to see whether he needs to make a move or if he wants to let it ride with Cowan at the helm.
Some believe that the best course of action is to have Cowan stick to a fourth line role to get acclimated, while others are a bit more bold in their predictions with the top prospect actually joining Auston Matthews on the top line.
One thing that will follow Cowan throughout his debut season and for potentially the first few years of his career is his comparison to Marner given their linked history to London, and both being smaller, scrappy forwards.
In his recent interview with Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun, Cowan admitted that he got bigger and stronger, and with the help of management is having a much easier time making the leap:
My mindset right now is to make the Toronto Maple Leafs. That's my goal. We're at an NHL camp and that's where I'm at until further notice.
This is definitely the most confident I've ever felt: faster, stronger, bigger. So that's going to help me out a lot. I've put in the work this summer. Now, it's just go out there and prove I can play.
This is definitely the most confident I've ever felt: faster, stronger, bigger. So that's going to help me out a lot. I've put in the work this summer. Now, it's just go out there and prove I can play.
How Easton Cowan's Rise Impacts Toronto's Roster Decisions
With knowing that Cowan is not only motivated to make the team this season, but is hellbent on doing whatever it takes to get there, it's going to make things hard for not only Craig Berube but Treliving himself.
If Cowan is good enough to make the team, and Berube decides to use him in a sheltered role at first, where does David Kampf go? Does he toil with the Marlies to give the rookie a shot? What of Calle Jarnkrok? Is Michael Pezzetta a press-box staple this season?
For the first time in a long time there seems to be too many bodies in the Maple Leafs system, and while it's always better to have excess, it does make these types of decisions more difficult.
Plus, what if Cowan outplays people like Max Domi and Nick Robertson? Does Toronto pay them to sit out? That's quite an expensive scratch and could facilitate a trade down the line.
You can't get mad at Cowan for being this good, and it's about time Toronto had a rookie they actually used and didn't trade away for spare parts.
But it's going to make the next few weeks hell for Craig Berube, because if he's good enough to play: Who gets left on the outside looking in?
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 9 | 888 ANSWERS Brad Treliving Could Be Holding Off on a Trade Because of One Player Do you think Easton Cowan deserves a spot on the Maple Leafs? | ||
| Yes | 722 | 81.3 % |
| No | 166 | 18.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
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