It's no secret that the Toronto Maple Leafs' biggest need is on the blue line. While their forwards are elite and all four lines are scoring, and their goaltending tandem is fairly set in stone even if they are having some mediocre performances, it is on the back end where the Leafs are lacking and have an opportunity for a major upgrade.
To get that upgrade in a trade, you have to give something of value up. You have to give to get, and all the rest of the sayings you can jot down when it comes to making hockey trades. The Leafs already gave up their biggest asset in Matthew Knies to get a big upgrade in the form of Kirill Marchenko. So now all attention is turning to their next most valuable asset: Easton Cowan.
There has been some debate across Leafs Nation whether or not to trade Cowan for a good defenseman. He's off to a roaring start with five goals and 11 points in 12 games this season, and looks like a player who will work his hardest on every single shift -- something championship teams are built of. But, wouldn't someone who is capable of breaking out the puck from the back and actually doing some solid work on the blue line be nice?
If the Leafs were to be completely fine trading Cowan for a defenseman, we've come up with a few names that we would give a big thumbs up for and be alright parting with the 21-year-old forward.
Zach Werenski, Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets are a mess, and we know the Leafs were already involved in Werenski trade talks this summer when the reigning Norris Trophy winner wanted out of Ohio. So, if that happens again -- and it seems likely given that the Blue Jackets are at the bottom of the Eastern Conference and will probably stay there -- then giving up someone like Cowan is perfectly understandable.
It will hurt, there's no doubt about that. But we will try and cope so hard and tell ourselves that he's just a very solid second-line forward when he reaches his prime. He will score some important goals in Columbus, but having Werenski would be game-changing for the Leafs.
Let's see if Chayka can pull it off.
Quinn Hughes, Wild
We love Cowan so much. He's the perfect player that makes an impact on every shift big and small, but can be pretty consistent -- at least that's what we've seen so far. But when one of the best defensemen in this century becomes available in a trade, then you might have to take it.
Imagine if Quinn Hughes didn't want to desperately play with his brothers on the New Jersey Devils. Imagine a world where he wants to return to where he played some minor hockey, living just over the border from his family in Michigan. Maybe Hughes wants to come back to Canada, too.
It's a pipedream but if Hughes isn't re-signing in Minnesota, then maybe the Leafs can dangle Cowan to get an extra playoff run in him before signing him to a long-term deal. Why not dream?
Adam Fox, Rangers
There's a world where the New York Rangers collapse in their inept management wants to point the blame on their best player. Adam Fox is a very subtle mastermind with the puck from the blue line. He doesn't get the same love as the Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes, Rasmus Dahlin, and Zach Werenski tier of defender, but the way he controls play and creates scoring chances for his team while also preventing them for the other team, puts him right up there with the elite.
It's not as far-fetched to believe that the Rangers would do something really stupid like trade Fox, but if he were to be open to the idea of playing for the Maple Leafs, then he might just be the perfect solution and Toronto would have its first No. 1 defenseman in what feels like a lifetime.
All in all, Cowan should not be available in a trade for just any regular defenseman. Even if it's someone as good as the Leafs' best defenseman -- that's not good enough. It would have to be a difference-maker. Someone who would shift this entire team into a new tier of Stanley Cup contenders.
Cowan is a player that you would regret giving up no so early and just the way he plays with such tenacity and bite -- you could eventually experience that coming up against you in a big playoff series, or something like that.
All of this makes us really want to believe that the Leafs will never trade Cowan to address the trouble on the blue line. We're begging for that to be true.
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