This season could have been the Toronto Maple Leafs’. One of the easiest schedules, combined with the motivation from last season’s success, which is likely to have been instilled in the lineup, could have paved the way for the Maple Leafs’ utter and complete domination.
However, that has not been the case: it cannot be said for sure if the team is still struggling to adjust after Mitch Marner’s departure or whether the injury bug has been too powerful for the team to overcome, but the Maple Leafs have been pushed to the very bottom of the standings, and while it has won the last few games, much ground remains uncovered. All the while, trade rumors surrounding the team have not waned.
Toronto Maple Leafs Tried and Failed to Acquire St. Louis Blues Captain, Brayden Schenn
According to a recent report by the Fourth Period, the Maple Leafs have Max Domi, Matias Maccelli, Nick Robertson, and Brandon Carlo as trade bait. The Maple Leafs have little room to maneuver salary cap-wise, so this is undoubtedly one of the options if Brad Treliving looks to add upgrades, which he most likely is.
Although Easton Cowan is no longer considered trade bait, he was once viewed in that light. Cowan, who has accumulated 12 points playing 31 games this season with the Maple Leafs, was once offered as a return for St. Louis Blues captain Brayden Schenn.
“As we know, the Leafs are really limited with the assets they have to pull off a big trade. Last year, Easton Cowan was pushed as a trade chip in an effort to try and obtain Brayden Schenn,” wrote Nick Kypreos in a contribution to Sportsnet.
However, despite the failed attempt, it is not certain that Cowan will not be offered as a trade return, as Kypreos explained. “Cowan’s going to be hard to put into play again this season. However, depending on what the return is, we can’t rule out the possibility.”
Schenn’s performance has not been the best this season, but there is a chance that he finds his fit in the Maple Leafs, one team the forward has been aggressively linked with. Moreover, the Blues are not a team that can be said to be in contention for the Stanley Cup.
“The Blues do not look like a team that can contend for a Stanley Cup; their players have begun to regress and are not as dangerous as they once were,” Nicholas Giannone wrote for the Editor In Leaf.
Moreover, the Blues Captain’s familiarity with Maple Leafs HC Craig Berube could also play a significant role in how things develop between the team and Schenn. The 34-year-old could be just what the likes of Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and John Tavares need.
