The Maple Leafs’ latest stumble did more than cost them a game. It put their blue line back under the microscope, and this time the conversation turned to a name Toronto would rather keep off the table: Easton Cowan.
A 4-3 shootout loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, after the Leafs had already built a 3-0 lead, dragged the same old problem right back into view. Toronto had opened the road trip well enough, but once Vegas took control of the second period, outshooting the Leafs 21-8, the night became another reminder that the back end is the team’s biggest concern.
That was the lens on Friday’s edition of OverDrive, where Bryan Hayes, Jamie McLellan and Jeff O'Neill dug into what’s gone wrong and what Toronto might do about it. O'Neill pointed to the lack of pushback after Vegas’ surge and zeroed in on the defense.
"That D-core, as a unit, they're a problem," said O'Neill.
McLellan said Toronto’s goaltending has been strong early and the forwards are beginning to settle in, but the defense keeps producing a different issue every night. In his view, at least one Leafs pairing has been overwhelmed or flat-out beaten down in every game so far. He called the blue line the team’s "Achilles heel."
Even a trade for a proven defenseman, O'Neill argued, wouldn’t be a cure-all. McLellan agreed the Leafs are "two away", though he added that better deployment could help. O'Neill went further, saying Vegas’s third-pairing defenseman would rank on Toronto’s top pair and asking what the Leafs could realistically do to fix the mess.
That led to the part of the discussion that will sting most for Leafs fans. McLellan said the price for defense help like Alexander Nikishin or Simon Edvinsson would be "Easton Cowan plus," meaning Toronto would likely have to include Cowan and more to get one of those names.
O'Neill stuck with his skepticism about the current group. McLellan noted that while some would see Cowan as untouchable, it depends on who comes back in the deal. He also said all of John Chayka's offseason moves were made with the goal of getting back to the playoffs.
Hayes then put the broader problem in plain terms: the Leafs’ defense is the oldest in the NHL, and it lacks speed. He pointed to age and a lack of confidence when facing rushes as reasons Toronto gives up the blue line so easily.
The conversation leaves Toronto with an uncomfortable reality. If the Leafs want a real fix on defense, the cost may not be small, and Cowan could end up as the piece that makes the deal possible.
In Other News...
Maple Leafs Face One Trade Question That Could Reshape Their Blue Line
The Maple Leafs have already added to their roster since the offseason, but the blue line still looks like the spot that could most use another swing. A high-impact left-side defenseman would fit the kind of upgrade Toronto has been circling, and Simon Edvinsson has emerged as an intriguing name because of his age, size and upside. For a team trying to harden its back end without sacrificing future value, he checks a lot of boxes on paper.
What makes the situation worth watching is the possibility that Detroit could be open to moving him under the right circumstances. Edvinsson has the profile of a player who would draw interest across the league, and Toronto would make sense as one of the clubs keeping tabs if the Red Wings decide to listen. For the Maple Leafs, the question is whether they want to push in now for help on the left side or trust the current group to carry the load a little longer. [Read more 🡒]
Nylanders Honest Take On A New Leafs Arrival Will Get Attention
William Nylander has been one of the Maple Leafs early catalysts this season, piling up six points in five games, but the conversation around him in a recent interview with The Athletic drifted beyond the scoreboard. Nylander touched on the arrival of Sergei Bobrovsky, a major new presence in Torontos mix, and also opened up about the people and players who shaped him growing up, giving a more personal glimpse into the winger behind the production.
There was also some notable honesty in the way Nylander discussed his connection to former Leafs star Mats Sundin, since the relationship has long carried extra weight for Toronto fans. Nylander revisited his upbringing and the hockey influences that mattered most to him, a reminder that even for a player entrenched in the present, the past still helps frame how he sees a changing Leafs roster. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Make Unusual Avalanche Lineup Move With One Big Decision Looming
The Maple Leafs are making a slightly unusual adjustment against the Colorado Avalanche, sliding Nick Blankenburg into the lineup as John Tavares steps out for the birth of his child. Head coach Jim Hiller said the club will dress seven defensemen and 11 forwards, a wrinkle that gives Toronto some extra flexibility while also opening the door for Blankenburg to get his first action of the season after being a healthy scratch through the first five games.
Blankenburg arrived on a one-year deal after a strong training camp, so this is a useful early look at how he fits once the games start to count. There is still one notable piece left hanging ahead of puck drop, though, because Hiller declined to name the starting goaltender, leaving Torontos final call in net as the other decision worth watching before the matchup begins. [Read more 🡒]