The Toronto Maple Leafs dropped a 5-2 decision on Monday night to the Calgary Flames, who are suddenly experiencing a resurgence after a brutally slow start to the season.
Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs saw their record fall to 7-5-2 with the setback, which included a costly giveaway by forward Easton Cowan in the first period, allowing the Flames to secure their second goal of the contest courtesy of captain Mikael Backlund.
Meanwhile, Maple Leafs GM John Chayka, who has made multiple meaningful transformations of the club since he arrived, both in the front office, on the bench, and on the ice, spoke honestly about Cowan’s future with the club.
Toronto Maple Leafs GM John Chayka Sheds Light On Easton Cowan’s Future With The Club
Recently, Chayka explained that there isn’t any player on the roster that is considered truly “untradeable”, but that Cowan represents everything that management wants to see in a Leafs player.
“I don’t think any player is untradeable, but he’s a good player,” Chayka said. “He’s everything you’d want in a Toronto Maple Leaf. He loves the Leafs. He’s passionate about it. Plays a 200-foot game. Does whatever it takes. You know, in the gym, doing extra on the ice. It’d be tough to ever improve on a player like that.”
Chayka, who answered with a blunt “yeah” if he would be willing to make another blockbuster move in the vein of the deal that brought them Kirill Marchenko just before the season began, also said that he’s constantly looking at upgrades.
“There’s no doubt we need to improve our defensive play overall to reach our ultimate goals,” Chayka said. “But I don’t think a transaction is necessarily always the way to improve.
“My job is always to look to improve the team if possible, and we’ll continue to evaluate the market and see if there’s an opportunity.”
Easton Cowan Is Playing In His Second Year With The Maple Leafs
Cowan emerged as one of the OHL’s top players during his time with the London Knights, eventually becoming a first-round pick of the Maple Leafs in 2023. After putting up 53 points as a rookie, he exploded for 96 points in 54 games the following season, then helped London win the OHL championship while earning playoff MVP honors.
Cowan continued his dominance in 2024-25, setting the OHL’s longest-ever point streak at 56 games and leading the playoffs with 39 points. He then helped London capture another OHL title and its first Memorial Cup since 2005, leading the tournament in scoring and earning MVP honors as the Knights completed a championship run.
In his first full NHL campaign, he appeared in 66 games for the Maple Leafs in 2025-26, scoring 11 goals with 18 assists. So far in 2026-27, Cowan has six goals and seven assists in 14 games played, currently on pace to break the 30-goal threshold.
He’s under contract this season and next season with a $900,000 salary cap hit, a number that will rise considerably on his next deal if he can continue his upward trajectory.
Maple Leafs GM Drops Hint About Easton Cowan’s Future