Toronto Maple Leafs Best Trade Options Require Moving Easton Cowan and Fraser Minten
With Brad Treliving and the Maple Leafs in win-now mode, they have no choice but to move both Fraser Minten and Easton Cowan at the deadline.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have potentially the best chance they've ever had for a strong postseason push. With a Stanley Cup the sole focus, Brad Treliving is under pressure to make some improvements.
Those improvements however may come at a very steep cost. Linked to big-time names like Brayden Schenn, Dylan Cozens, and Noah Dobson -- Toronto may have no choice but to part ways with BOTH Easton Cowan and Fraser Minten.
So what can the Maple Leafs acquire for their top two prospects? Let's break it down.
Toronto Trades Fraser Minten and Easton Cowan In Separate Blockbuster Deals
First off, we'll start with the name that has been brought to the forefront in recent days: Fraser Minten.
Toronto's 38th overall pick in 2022, Minten has a lot of hype surrounding him and a 15-game stint showed he has the potential to be a game changer on offense and defense.
This season, Minten has 2 goals and 2 assists in 15 games for the Maple Leafs.
But he also projects to be a very good 3C with the potential to be a good 2C -- that's great for Toronto's future but it's not conducive to winning now. He can help out an NHL team now, and with enough seasoning could be an elite defensive forward.
The Maple Leafs need to sell on the hype and a potential couple of players they can acquire are Jamie Oleksiak and Brandon Tanev.
Here's a potential deal between Toronto and Seattle:
To Toronto Maple leafs
(D) Jamie Oleksiak
(F) Brandon Tanev
To Seattle Kraken
(F) Fraser Minten
(F) Nicholas Robertson
(D) Topi Niemala
2025 2nd Round Pick (FLA)
Tanev solves Toronto's scoring issues on the wing and gives them another tenacious shot-blocker (and unites him with his brother Chris). Oleksiak is the perfect compliment to Morgan Rielly and can provide elite shutdown defense, hitting and shot-blocking.
Robertson has been in trade talks all year, and with so real progress in Toronto he needs a fresh start. Adding Niemala in there gives Seattle a puck-moving defenseman with a lot of potential who doesn't fit in with the Leafs' current strategy on defense.
Seattle will want draft assets too, and with Toronto giving up their first rounder in the Schenn deal -- they'll need to part ways with this year's 2nd rounder.
In terms of Cowan, he's more of a wild card in the sense that while he's uquestionable an exciting prospect, he is still a few years away from true stardom and with their window closing now -- Toronto can't afford to wait.
Toronto needs to add an elite 2C who can bring them an equal part offense and defense while providing a winning veteran mentality and who better than Brayden Schenn?
This season, Schenn has 11 goals and 21 assists in 56 games for the Blues; he is in the fifth year of his eight-year, $52M contract.
So with that being said, here's a potential deal involving Cowan and Schenn:
To Toronto Maple Leafs:
(C) Brayden Schenn
To St. Louis Blues
(C) Easton Cowan
(F) Pontus Holmberg
(F) Alex Steeves
2026 1st Round Pick (TOR)
Besides Cowan, Toronto parts with Pontus Holmberg; who never really found his footing with the Leafs, and Steeves -- who is the Toronto Marlies all-time scorer but hasn't gotten a chance with the big club for more than a couple games.
Schenn ticks off every box on the ice and off the ice too, as he comes with three more years of term. While he will be 36 at the end, it coincides with Auston Matthews' prime years so perhaps it could lead to a string of success.
So with Toronto all shuffled up -- here's how a playoff roster could play out:
Knies - Matthews - Domi
Nylander - Schenn - Marner
Tanev - Tavares - McMann
Pacioretty - Kampf - Lorentz
McCabe - Tanev
Rielly - Oleksiak
Ekman-Larsson - Myers/Benoit
The first three lines are equally balanced with a playmaker, scoring threat, and grit and allows Marner to separate from Matthews but still let him play with a top line.
Tavares bumped to the 3C isn't a bad decision, and with the gritty Tanev and lightning quick McMann -- it could lead to a huge spark in offense and defense.
Oleksiak works with Rielly on D2 as being the second unit behind shutdown pairing of Tanev/McCabe allows a bit less pressure on Rielly defensively; which hopefully translates offensively.
You're also adding three players with playoff experience including Schenn with a Stanley Cup to his name (with current Leafs head coach Craig Berube.)
It certainly looks like an overpayment on paper and yes Toronto is giving up their top two prospects; but for a team that hasn't won in 58 years -- it's a small price to pay to end such a miserable drought.
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