The Toronto Maple Leafs may be in an unremarkable sixth place in the NHL’s Atlantic Division, but goal scoring hasn’t been the problem. Their 32 goals after a 3-1 defeat of the San Jose Sharks Monday ranks the Leafs 11th in the NHL with 3.2 goals per game.
Toronto’s problem is an aging blue line with quickly declining effectiveness. But a new trade pitch published Monday attempts to address the issue by bringing in a top defenseman from the Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes. But at a heavy cost. Would the Maple Leafs make the sacrifice?
The proposed trade would send Toronto’s 21-year-old forward Easton Cowan to Carolina for Hurricanes defenseman Alexander Nikishin, targeting Toronto’s faltering defense whose 3.30 goals against average is 10th-worst in the league.
The one-for-one swap, posted on PuckPedia‘s PuckGM roster-builder, tests how much Toronto will pay for defensive help and whether Carolina has any reason to deal.
Cowan, 21, was born May 20, 2005, in Mount Brydges, Ontario. Toronto drafted him 28th overall in 2023 after he piled up 96 points in 54 games for the OHL’s London Knights in 2023-24, according to PuckPedia‘s data. He scored 11 goals with 18 assists in 66 games as a rookie last season and has three goals and four assists through 10 games this year. His entry-level contract carries a $900,000 cap hit through 2027-28, when he becomes a restricted free agent.
Nikishin, 25, is a native of Oryol, Russia, whom Carolina selected 69th overall in 2020. He totaled 54 goals and 177 points in 288 KHL games before joining the Hurricanes, according to a Daily Faceoff report. Last season he ranked second among rookie defensemen with 11 goals and 22 assists in 81 games, adding a plus-18 rating and 18:11 of nightly ice time, according to NHL.com. The 11 goals set a franchise record for a rookie defenseman and earned him a spot on the All-Rookie Team.
Toronto Maple Leafs’ Defensive Need and the Easton Cowan Question
Including the injured Chris Tanev, Toronto’s defensemen average 33 years old, the NHL’s oldest group, with the Pittsburgh Penguins second at 32.5, Editor in Leaf‘s Marc Sautter reported Monday. The Leafs rank 11th in goals scored with 32 but have allowed 33.
“They don’t seem interested in trading Cowan,” Elliotte Friedman said on the “32 Thoughts Podcast.”. Friedman first reported that Toronto would pay a premium for a difference-maker on defense, and the same report notes the Leafs explored Nikishin and Detroit Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson without coming close to a deal.
“It has to be for a No. 1 player, and nothing less,” Sautter wrote for Editor in Leaf. His example was Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets, and he argued a major trade is unlikely to get done without Cowan. Nikishin has one NHL season behind him.
Carolina Hurricanes’ Reasons to Move Alexander Nikishin
Nikishin remains an unsigned restricted free agent, sits on Carolina’s non-roster injured list amid a contract dispute and has requested a trade, according to CBS Sports‘ RotoWire report. The report adds that Mike Reilly potentially sits ahead of him on the depth chart.
Nikishin and the New York Rangers were each near $9 million annually before talks stalled, and he is rumored to want a five-year deal, according to Pro Hockey Rumors. Friedman has reported that Carolina wants two first-round picks or comparable players. Four Hurricanes defensemen reach unrestricted free agency after this season, and only Jaccob Slavin, K’Andre Miller and Sean Walker are signed beyond it.
The cost gap is stark. Cowan’s $900,000 cap hit against a Nikishin deal near $9 million leaves Toronto roughly $8.1 million short, and Zeev Buium signed with the Vancouver Canucks for $9.38 million annually over eight years. Carolina would shed a negotiation and take on a forward under team control through 2027-28.
Toronto gains a left-shot defenseman at its position of need, and Carolina gains cost certainty. So, who says no?
Maple Leafs Trade Pitch Lands Stanley Cup Champion Defenseman For Easton Cowan