Trade calls coming in for Easton Cowan in Toronto!

It is no secret that the Toronto Maple Leafs would like to add a scoring winger to their roster. The problem, as insider Nick Kypreos pointed out in his latest column on Sportsnet, is that the general manager Brad Treliving does not have many assets that are likely to entice rival clubs to pull the trigger on a deal. And apparently at this time, the GM is dealing with many teams calling about Easton Cowan.

On Saturday, the rookie forward scored his first NHL goal in Philadelphia, but there is a sense that he could be coming down the Leafs’ lineup with the imminent return of Scott Laughton and Steven Lorentz from injury. He’s been a healthy scratch three times so far this season, and some insiders, including Jonas Siegel of the New York Times, wonders if the NHL the best place for Cowan at this time. It was later confirmed that Cowan will be a healthy scratch tonight as well.

“Cowan could gobble up huge minutes in every situation down there while Berube sorts out his lineup in the NHL. And then down the line this season, whether it’s in a month, a few weeks from now, or after the trade deadline, Cowan can hook back up with the Leafs as a more developed player or perhaps, a more enticing trade asset,” Siegel writes.

But that does not mean the Leafs will rule him out entirely, because Kypreos maintains that trade calls coming in for Cowan aren’t going anywhere for now.

“As we get into the second month of the season, teams are starting to figure out what they need. But while the Maple Leafs would ideally like to add a scoring winger, their hands are tied by the fact they don’t have as many assets to trade that can match other teams. Many teams will come calling for Easton Cowan, which is a non-starter for now.”

It remains to be seen what the future holds for Cowan when it comes to his role up and down the Maple Leafs’ lineup, but I’m pretty sure there is no way the answer is to take him out completely of the organization in a monster trade.