The Toronto Maple Leafs are reportedly not interested in trading Easton Cowan after a strong start to the season.
According to Elliotte Friedman on 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, Toronto has no interest in trading Cowan. That makes sense when looking at just how good Cowan has been this season. He has quickly turned heads and put himself among the elite players on the roster, that the organization won't include any trade talks.
Easton Cowan's becoming an untradeable asset
As mentioned above, Friedman talked about how Cowan is quickly becoming an untradeable asset. In fact, he is becoming a key member of the top six. Which has made the organization realize that they don't want to move him and that they are better with him on the team, then if they were to trade him.
"I had a couple of people come up to me and stated they don’t seem that interested in trading Cowan," Friedman said. "Like, they really seem to believe he’s the real deal. Like, he has come a long way in a short time in the eyes of the organization. It always comes down to perspective right. Like, what do you perceive as an A asset, and what do other people perceive as an A asset?
"I would assume that the Colorado pick is one of those things. I would assume that a couple of their prospects not in the NHL would be a couple of those things. You know, some people think, with the pressure Toronto faces, especially with Matthews having only one year left on his deal, that they’ll do something panicky to make everything look better. They aren’t interested in that."
With Cowan off to a great start of the season, it has made it even harder to imagine the organization trading him. Unless, it was for someone like Zach Werenski, there wouldn't be a real reason to part with him. Especially considering that he has effectively replaced that Matthew Knies offered within the top six, early in the early in the season.
Cowan has worked his way into a bigger role and is now skating alongside Auston Matthews and Jack Roslovic on the top line, as well as playing with William Nylander in the las 30 seconds of penalty kills to provide an offensive spark.
That is a pretty good opportunity for Cowan, but he has earned it with his play. Getting time alongside the face of the franchise in Matthews, is going to give him a chance to keep building confidence and show what he can bring to Toronto's lineup on a nightly basis.
Cowan has scored five goals and six assets for 11 points in 12 games this season. That includes starting the season on the third line, and then moving up to the second line, before jumping to the top line. Cowan is also still on the second power play unit, which is truly incredible.
For Cowan, he has now pushed himself into the conversation, where is he not unmoveable and after watching Matthew Knies get traded, it is exactly needed to happen to take the pressure off him early this season.
Add us as a preferred source on Google