The Toronto Maple Leafs seem to have salvaged their playoff hopes by going on a solid run over the last few weeks. The Leafs’ win over the Florida Panthers and Philadelphia Flyers have catapulted them to the fringes of the Eastern Conference postseason conversation.
That said, the Maple Leafs could be looking to add at the trade deadline despite zero cap space and virtually no assets to move.
But that hasn’t stopped the rumor mill from grinding. Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos floated the idea that the Maple Leafs could be players for Dallas Stars’ winger Jason Robertson. Jason, brother of Toronto forward Nick, Robertson will be an RFA at the end of this season. While the Stars are trying to sign him, according to Kypreos, things “haven’t been smooth.”
Kypreos’ assertion hinges on the fact that last season, the Maple Leafs reportedly offered Easton Cowan as bait to land the St. Louis Blues’ captain Brayden Schenn.
But moving Cowan, plus defense prospect Ben Danford, as Kypreos suggested, is one trade the Maple Leafs should avoid like the plague.
It took Cowan a while to get on track this season. That time has included a brief stint down in the AHL. But when looking at the broader scheme of things, Cowan, Nick Robertson, and Matthew Knies are the few young forwards the Maple Leafs have to build around. Jettisoning Cowan, even for someone like Jason Robertson, would only gut the Leafs’ prospect pool even further. Losing Cowan would not have an impact in the short-term. But over the long-haul, the outcome could be unpredictable.
Cowan Has Proven his Value to Maple Leafs
Thursday night’s win over the Flyers proved how important Cowan has become to the Maple Leafs. Cowan scored the game-winner in overtime after a prolonged shift. After playing defense during a mad scramble in front of the Toronto goal, Cowan streaked up ice alongside a fresh John Tavares. The 20-year-old still had enough gas to take a no-look pass from Tavares and end the game.
That’s the sort of impact that Cowan has had for the Leafs. It’s the type of influence they would lose, potentially setting the Leafs’ development back.
Keeping Cowan Is Key to Averting another Rebuild
The chatter about a possible rebuild in Toronto is inevitable. This iteration’s competitive window is dwindling. Nevertheless, having players like Cowan, Danford, Knies, and even Nick Robertson can go a long way towards minimizing the impact of a forthcoming roster churn.
But then again, Jason Robertson is a player the Maple Leafs could build around. But doing so would entail going through a rebuild. That’s something the Leafs would need to be transparent about.
Sure, having Jason Robertson and Auston Matthews on the same team would be something to salivate about. But it shouldn’t happen at the expense of gutting the Leafs’ prospect pool even further. The Maple Leafs may not be as lucky as the Colorado Avalanche have been. The Avalanche have managed to maintain a highly competitive team with zero prospects and draft picks.
But that clearly isn’t Toronto’s case. The Leafs should acquire Robertson from Dallas, but not for the price that Kypreos suggests.
Maple Leafs Should Avoid this Trade like the Plague