Should the Leafs trade Easton Cowan for an impact defenseman?

If you have watched the Toronto Maple Leafs at all this season, it is quite evident that they are in need of an elite defenseman to lighten the load of what is an aged and inadequate blue line.

Our Spencer Lazary wrote an excellent piece over the weekend about Elliotte Friedman's report on Saturday that the Maple Leafs would be willing to pay a "premium" in order to bring in a "difference-making" defender.

Lazary expanded on what the Leafs may consider "premium". To me, there's two thoughts that instantly come to mind. First, if it's not Zach Werenski, who else fits that description and is also available? Secondly, is Easton Cowan too big a price to pay to bring in someone of that caliber?

Let's get into it.

The state of the Maple Leafs blue line

Once the dust settled on a hectic Chayka-led offseason and the season got underway, it became clear that the blue line was going to be a major point of contention in Toronto for both the media and the fanbase.

If we include Chris Tanev, who is currently sidelined due to injury, the Leafs d-core is an average age of 33, which makes them the oldest blue line in the NHL. The Pittsburgh Penguins are a close second at 32.5.

When you watch them, they look every bit of 33. Aside from the fact that they are not very strong defensively, they look slow. Always a step behind. In a league that is getting younger and faster every season, that is not a recipe for success.

The Maple Leafs have no problem scoring goals. They are 10th in the NHL in goals scored with 29. On the flip side, they have allowed 31, which is seventh-worst in the league and gives them a point differential of minus two. I'm not an expert on underlying numbers and all of that stuff, but it doesn't take one to know this isn't going to cut it if they want to make a serious push towards the playoffs.

Maple Leafs need no less than a top-liner

To me, and there's really no debate in my mind, the Leafs need a top-pairing defenseman. Not a second line or a third line - a first line. I know most of us know that, but I think spending resources to get anything less than that is a waste.

Chris Tanev is their defensive anchor, and his workload is too much right now. He played 11 games last season due to injury and is already out with an injury this season. Darren Raddysh is their other top guy, and while he is more than competent defensively and their main threat offensively, there is already too much pressure on him to be the saviour.

With Tanev out, McCabe has been moved up, and there isn't a better option, so I understand it. But in a perfect world, he is no more than a second-line player. Then, you have Morgan Rielly, Troy Stecher, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and Nick Blankenburg, who are all realistically third-pair guys. I think Stecher and Blankenburg have the highest upside, but right now they are being asked to do a lot.

Tanev's return will do a lot to put certain players back in their proper place, but that won't be fully remedied until the Leafs bring in another number one. If that newcomer is up top with Raddysh, and Tanev and McCabe man the second pair, I'm fine with whoever they put beside Ekman-Larsson to round out the third unit.

What do the Maple Leafs consider a "premium" asset?

So, that brings us to the crux of the conversation. Should the Maple Leafs trade Cowan to bring in a "difference-making" defenseman? To go back to Lazary's question and Friedman's reporting, what do the Leafs consider a "premium" asset?

Clearly the Leafs aren't going to trade Auston Matthews, and I would think William Nylander would be off the table as well. Gavin McKenna and Kirill Marchenko aren't going anywhere, and while Jack Roslovic has looked good so far in his Maple Leafs tenure, I don't think he will get the job done in any blockbuster trade.

So what else would be considered premium?

20-year-old Ben Danford is a highly touted prospect, but it's still unclear what he is going to turn into. Toronto currently owns the Colorado Avalanche's 2027 first-round pick, which turns into a 2028 first-rounder if the Avalanche finish in the bottom 10 in the standings. That's worth something, but I'm not sure exactly how much.

Beyond that, they have a second-round pick for each of the next four years, but don't have a first until 2029. Between the pipes, they have Artur Akhtyamov in the AHL, whom they really like, and Elvis Merzlikins, who is currently on long-term injured reserve (LTIR).

Also, if they are bringing in an elite player, they have many veteran defensemen that they could send the other way.

Should Cowan be off the table for Chayka and the Maple Leafs?

Everything I have mentioned could certainly be packaged into a deal, but I don't think a major trade gets done without Cowan. If that's true, should they do it?

There was drama surrounding Werenski and the Maple Leafs during the summer, which was nixed by the Columbus d-man not wanting to leave his current team. But with the Blue Jackets trending in the wrong direction, his current contentment might not last very long.

The risk with bringing in any star player is them not wanting to sign long-term. With Werenski not eligible for an extension until the summer, that might give the Leafs pause if a trade involving Cowan was on the table midseason. But if he did sign an extension, I would do it in a heartbeat.

Drafting McKenna definitely makes dealing Cowan easier to swallow. Having Roslovic, Nylander, Marchenko, and McKenna on the wing makes for a strong top-six; however, Roslovic has only one more year left after next summer, and Cowan would be the better option for years to come. There's also no guarantee that Werenski would instantly make the Leafs a Stanley Cup contender. If it doesn't, then maybe it's not worth it.

For the right player, it's worth the risk

The fact remains, the Maple Leafs need a game-changer on the blue line. As much as I like Cowan, and there's a lot of risk in moving him, if that's the price to pay, then to me, it's worth the risk. He's shown a lot of promise, and he's already grown a lot this season, but we still don't fully know what he's going to become. Werenski, on the other hand, we know very well.

However, if they are going to move Cowan, it has to be for a No. 1 player, and nothing less. I like Simon Edvinsson, but I'm not sure if he's worth the risk. Quinn Hughes is in the final season of his deal, but I'm not sure I'm crazy enough to suggest that the Leafs would pull the trigger on that, or if Cowan plus anything else would be enough, or if Hughes would even want to come here. Erik Karlsson could be a good stopgap fit, but trading Cowan for Karlsson would be insane when it comes to the future.

We can talk about the defensive issues until the cows come home, and we will, but these players don't grow on trees. For Werenski, they should move Cowan, no questions asked. For anyone else, though, they should probably second-guess it.

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