John Chayka has not been shy about making big moves since taking over as GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs this offseason, which has included moving on from several mainstays of the organization in recent years.
Joseph Woll, head coach Craig Berube and, most recently, Matthew Knies have all been sent out the door, though after considering doing the same with Easton Cowan, it sounds like that stance has quickly shifted.
According to Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman, Cowan was viewed as a trade chip this summer, but his strong training camp and start to the 2026-27 season have quickly changed Chayka’s mind, with the young forward now viewed as a key piece of the puzzle.
“I think there were a couple of things in the offseason that they were considering that could potentially have Cowan involved, and I did hear this week that even before the puck dropped that Cowan’s stock in the organization was way up. And that Toronto’s desire to move Cowan has really decreased… I hesitate to say that guys are off the market because we’ve learned that nothing is ever guaranteed, but they’re not looking to do anything right now. They’re very happy with him… They’re not looking to do anything with him,”
The 21-year-old Cowan has tallied three points (one goal, two assists) through his first three games of the season. He’s playing in the second year of the three-year, $2,673,500 entry-level contract he signed after being drafted by the Maple Leafs in 2023.
Cowan has always had the talent as a former first-round pick (28th overall in 2023), and now with added experience is looking like a completely different player from his rookie campaign, which was quite solid to begin with.
