Teams are trying to pry Easton Cowan away from Toronto Maple Leafs in a trade: report

The Toronto Maple Leafs could be losing their top prospect ahead of this year’s trade deadline if they’re looking to make a big move.

With the Leafs currently sitting atop the Atlantic Division, the team is clearly positioned to be buyers in the trade market this year.

And knowing that Toronto could be desperate for a big move, 19-year-old forward Easton Cowan has suddenly found himself at the centre of trade rumours, despite having yet to play in an NHL regular season game.

According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, Cowan is one of four key trade assets that Toronto has been asked for in trade proposals.

“There are four people/assets potential trade partners ask from Toronto: Easton Cowan, Ben Danford, Fraser Minten, and their 2026 first-rounder. If they want to do anything significant, they’ll have to decide which of those they’d part with,” Friedman wrote today in his 32 Thoughts column.

Of course, Toronto has no mandate to trade Cowan if they don’t want to, but keeping him could be a deal-breaker in any possible move.

Cowan, Toronto’s first-round draft pick in 2023, has shot right to the top of most prospect rankings during his two years with the franchise.

This year, Cowan has put up 20 goals and 26 assists in just 36 games, with the London Knights currently remaining atop the OHL standings.

Last season, Cowan put up 34 goals and 62 assists for 96 points in 54 regular-season games with the Knights, before following that up with 34 points in 18 playoff games by way of 10 goals and 24 assists en route to an OHL title. Cowan’s Knights went all the way to the Memorial Cup championship game before falling to host Saginaw in an epic 4-3 contest.

The trade deadline is just a week away, set for 3 p.m. EST on March 7.