According to Elliotte Friedman, the Maple Leafs have become a lot firmer in their decision on whether or not they have any desire to trade Easton Cowan.
Two games into the 2026-27 NHL season, the Toronto Maple Leafs are being led in scoring by Easton Cowan, a pleasant surprise thus far. His hound-dog mentality and never-say-die spirit have led him to three points so far and shown marked improvement over last year.
It feels like he has a chip on his shoulder this season, and despite being put in a third-line role alongside Nick Paul and Colton Sissons, he's thriving.
Toronto does complete 180 on Easton Cowan trade talks
There was some discussion about Cowan being involved in a potential trade at some point, but the more he keeps contributing, the less likely he's headed out.
And that's exactly the Maple Leafs' mentality when it comes to their young forward. According to Elliotte Friedman, Toronto had some talks about a deal involving Cowan earlier this summer but his stock has since skyrocketed and they are now way less open to dealing him:
I think there were a couple of things in the off-season that [the Leafs] were considering that could potentially have Cowan involved and I did hear this week that even before the puck dropped that Cowan's stock in the organization was way up and that Toronto's desire to move Cowan has really decreased.
That's great news for both Cowan and fans of the young forward because he's quickly turning himself into an undeniable piece of the lineup. His ability to gather pucks, pester opponents, be an offensive catalyst and show a bit of a mean streak is invaluable.
Is he going to have a 96-point season like in London? No, but he is currently leading the team in scoring and has been effective at both ends of the ice and he's only going to get better.
Easton Cowan is Toronto's 2026 version of Darcy Tucker
While you can't equate the two given how different the game is, their styles are extremely similar. Tucker's offensive game was underrated and was a multiple 20-goal scorer who hovered around 18-25 per season. He also added roughly the same in points, while providing a mean streak and physical edge despite being smaller.
Cowan is a smaller player with a bulldog mentality, and his offensive ceiling is higher than Tucker's, so if he can provide 55-60 points per season while adding reliable two-way play, physicality, and heart then he'll indispensable for the lineup.
Tucker flourished with Mats Sundin because he was able to give him the scoring chances necessary while also cleaning up whatever second chances there were. Cowan can do the exact same with Auston Matthews and Gavin McKenna in the future, and it's going to lead to success.
Cowan showed last year that despite setbacks he can be a solid contributor in the lineup. This year he's taken a step forward to prove that he's more than just a good young player. He has the potential to be a game-changer, and it's why Toronto has decided against giving him away.
Do you think Easton Cowan should be untouchable for the Maple Leafs?
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