3 Untouchable Prospects For the Toronto Maple Leafs
With the Leafs recent stretch of terrific play, many fans are wondering what sort of big splash they're going to make before the playoffs. With the trade deadline looming, here are Leafs prospects that should NOT be traded.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are having easily their best stretch of the season, winning a season-high six games in a row after Thursday's win over Vegas, and then making it seven on Saturday against Colorado.
The Toronto Maple Leafs may have lost their winning streak last night, but they remain one of the hottest teams in the NHL as the NHL Trade Deadline approaches.
After their hot streak, the Leafs now only sit six points back of Boston and Florida for top spot in the Atlantic. The Leafs have two games in hand over Boston and and one on Florida, making the final quarter of the season extremely exciting, as the winner of the Atlantic Division has a much better chance of making it through to the Stanley Cup than a Wild Card team.
With the trade deadline looming, it's safe to say the Toronto Maple Leafs have cemented themselves as buyers, though they were always going to be buying, as long as they were in a playoff position, and that is now all but guaranteed.
The Leafs are looking strong for the stretch run and look ready to add a key player or two to bolster the roster for the playoffs.
The Leafs have a solid prospect pool, but they need to use it wisely, as not all of their up-and-comers are expendable.
Here are 3 prospects the Leafs should not consider trading come deadline time.
3 Untouchable Prospects For the Toronto Maple Leafs
1. Easton Cowan
To get the obvious one out of the way I'll start with Easton Cowan, who has been one of the top players in the entire OHL this year.
After looking like a reach by the Leafs at 28th overall in last year's draft, Cowan has put together an incredible season with the London Knights proving everyone wrong.
Cowan has now racked up a 24-game point streak, helping lead the London Knights to first place in the entire OHL.
The 18-year-old has a bright future with the Leafs, and they should not consider trading him.
Drafted in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft last summer, the Leafs picked Cowen with the 28th overall pick. It was the pick they got from Washington in the Rasmus Sandin trade.
Cowen was an off-the-board pick that was criticized heavily at the time, but the Leafs are the ones laughing now as he's turned into one of, if not their very best prospect.
2. Fraser Minten
The 6'2 Minten was selected 38th overall in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.
Minten is projected as a 3C at the NHL level, but recently showed signs of busting way past his supposed ceiling. The 19 year old impressed so much at the Leafs training camp this year that he earned himself an NHL audition.
Earning that audition is practically unheard of for a second round pick just a year removed from being drafted and Minten did not disappoint.
Though he only ended up getting into four games and failed to score a goal, Minten was impressive never the less. He could easily have stayed on the roster, but their are other considerations for a player's development and the Leafs felt he was best served by going back to junior.
While Cowan likely won't play in the NHL until at least the 2025-26 season, there's a chance Minten could be on the team as early as next season.
Fraser Minten projects to be at least a strong third-line center at the NHL level, and with the Leafs bound to lose many of their players in the off-season due to cap constraints and expiring contracts, Minten will likely, at the very least, earn a look on the NHL squad.
If he's not ready to be a full-time NHLer by next year then no worries, he's still just 19.
I'm a personal fan of Minten's and the Leafs would be making a mistake in trading him.
3. Dennis Hildeby
Similar to Minten's situation, there's a chance Hildeby could be on the NHL roster as early as next season. Both Martin Jones and Ilya Samsonov will be free agents at the end of the season, and their future with the Leafs looks unknown.
In fact, given the way the Leafs goaltending has been this year, it's surprising he hasn't gotten to make his NHL debut yet. He has backed up several times and it's still possible he debuts this year, as who knows what will happen in the Leafs net between now and the end of the season.
Dennis Hildeby has been great in the AHL with the Toronto Marlies, ranking top-10 in GAA and top-15 in league SV%. (stats from quanthockey.com).
There's a possibility the Toronto Maple Leafs run with a Woll-Hildeby tandem next season in net, but if they do decide to sign another goalie in the offseason (they probably will), Hildeby not only gives the team stability as a strong third goaltending option but also gives the Marlies one of the top goalies in the AHL.
Even outside of these 3 players, the Leafs have a solid prospect pool to choose from if they do decide to make a big splash at the trade deadline.
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We will see come March 8th who stays and who goes, and how different the roster will look in preparation for the playoffs.