The Maple Leafs may be staring at one of those uncomfortable front-office questions that always turns into a lightning rod: how far are you willing to go for a blue-line upgrade?
Simon Edvinsson’s name is now in the mix, and with reports that he wants a trade out of Detroit, the idea of Toronto making a run at him has started to pick up steam. Elliotte Friedman said on 32 Thoughts that he did not see Easton Cowan as a player the Maple Leafs were prepared to move. That said, if Toronto is serious about landing a difference-maker on defense, the price is going to be steep, and Edvinsson is hardly a small swing.
Nick Alberga thinks this is exactly the kind of player the Leafs should at least discuss. He said Toronto needs a true difference-maker on the blue line and suggested Edvinsson could be the sort of young defenceman worth putting Cowan into the conversation for.
Alberga said he would be open to including Cowan in that kind of deal, even if it hurts, because Edvinsson lines up with a team trying to build from good to great. He added, Edvinsson is fu--ng good.”
The caution, though, was just as important as the idea itself. Alberga also warned the Maple Leafs not to force a move of that size unless they’re truly in position to chase the season. He said he doesn’t think Toronto is one piece away from a Stanley Cup, even while noting it’s only three games into the season and that there is real potential in the roster.
Around the league, some Red Wings fans have already tried to put a price tag on the conversation. The suggestion from that side is that Cowan plus a first-round pick would be the starting point.
One mock trade making the rounds has Toronto getting Edvinsson while Detroit receives Cowan, Dakota Joshua, a 2027 first-round pick from Colorado, and a 2029 second-round pick. In that scenario, Edvinsson would step straight into Toronto’s top pair alongside Darren Raddysh.
The reaction has split right down the middle. Some fans accept that Edvinsson is the kind of player who would almost certainly cost Cowan, and one said he’d be among the few players they’d be willing to part with Cowan for. Others pushed back hard, saying the mock deal undersells what Cowan could become and pointing to why the Maple Leafs value him so highly.
There’s also the contract side of all this. Both teams would still have to re-sign the player they’re getting.
Edvinsson is looking for market value on defensemen, and that number is high. Cowan has this season and next left on his entry-level deal at $900K, and while his exact next contract is unclear, the expectation is that Detroit would want to lock him up long term.
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