With the NHL trade deadline less than two weeks away, it is getting down to crunch time for the Toronto Maple Leafs to make some moves to augment their roster for the stretch run and ultimately the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Some could argue that the Toronto Maple Leafs have been doing quite well with the roster they have already so why make any changes. After all, the Leafs currently sit atop of the Atlantic Division and a good ten points clear of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. On top of that, their offence has looked great, their defense has been solid and their goaltending has been spectacular.
Nevertheless, if the Maple Leafs don’t make any moves by the trade deadline, it ultimately wouldn’t instill any confidence in the team that they are committed to winning and success, and could negatively impact their mindset going forward.
With that In mind, which current Maple Leafs players could surprisingly find themselves on the trade block and which players will likely be staying put despite hearsay rumors?
3 Toronto Maple Leafs That Will be Traded, and 2 That Won't Be
Easton Cowan will be traded
There is no question that the best asset that the Leafs have that they'd actually be likely to trade is their unanimous top prospect in Easton Cowan. With a high ceiling and loads of potential, Cowan has the makings of being the next big homegrown Leafs star since Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. After all, all the 19-year-old phenom has done was help lead the London Knights to an OHL championship last season and unofficially breaking Doug Gilmour’s long-time OHL record of registering a point in 55 consecutive regular season games this year.
However, the current contending window for the Maple Leafs with the “core four” could be closing upon the end of the 2024-25 NHL season. That is because both Marner and John Tavares are both pending free agents, so this may be the season in which the Leafs need to go all-in in pursuit of the Stanley Cup. As a result, as untouchable as Cowan would have been, look for Toronto to make the shocking gamble in dealing away the potential future star to give themselves the best chance at winning it all this year.