The Toronto Maple Leafs’ November campaign appears to be in good shape so far; the team had a breezy victory against the Philadelphia Flyers, but ran out of breath trying to salvage a game that had almost slipped out of their hands against the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Scotiabank Arena. As the Leafs braced to face the Penguins, all a 20-year-old winger could anticipate was facing his hero, Sidney Crosby.
Not long before meeting Crosby, the 20-year-old in question hit a personal milestone in the Leafs’ showdown against the Flyers: his first-ever NHL goal. While he couldn’t repeat the feat in the close battle against Crosby and co, his brilliance was readily recognized far and wide, with teams across the league eyeing the winger. Now the question is, will the Leafs part ways with the 20-year-old?
Toronto Maple Leafs Have an Answer For Easton Cowan’s Suitors
Nine games into his maiden NHL career, Easton Cowan finally succeeded in scoring his first goal playing for the Maple Leafs. It happened in the Leafs’ maiden game of November against the Philadelphia Flyers at the Xfinity Mobile Arena. The 5-2 victory was the Maple Leafs’ first win on the road, and also remarkably special for Cowan.
The Maple Leafs played exceptionally well, with Nicholas Robertson, Auston Matthews, Easton Cowan, and Jake McCabe scoring goals. Calle Järnkrok scored an empty-net goal to cruise past the Flyers, who were already incapacitated by the absence of their captain because of an injury. Cowan’s goal, which came 33 seconds into the third period, marked the commencement of a crucial chapter in his NHL career.
Teams are already looking pretty interested in acquiring the rookie winger. Of course, it is inevitable for Cowan to command the attention of management everywhere, given that he is yet to reach his prime and will only get better from here. But the Maple Leafs are not listening to any proposals surrounding Cowan, noted Nick Kypreos, writing for Sportsnet.
Notwithstanding that the Leafs themselves would love to add a solid winger to their lineup, any development that involves Cowan is unlikely to materialize. “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,” wrote Kypreos.
A more realistic trade would involve blueliner Ben Danford, but there are qualms about the trajectory his growth will take, which can develop into an obstruction to the path of any future deals.