How far can an Easton Cowan trade package really go with two defensemen now on the market?

Dec 30, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs right wing Easton Cowan (53) skates during the warmup before a game against the New Jersey Devils at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

Photo credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

The Toronto Maple Leafs could have a chance to improve their blueline after a new report, but can a package headlined by Easton Cowan be enough to get it done?

There’s a lot of talk about who the Maple Leafs are going to trade for when it comes to upgrading their defense. Rasmus Andersson and Dougie Hamilton are two of the most discussed targets, and while they would add a lot to the team; they are a tad older than you’d like them to be.

But there are also several young targets the team could go after such as Brandt Clarke from Los Angeles or Louis Crevier from Chicago however if they wanted to make a massive splash they could do a deal with a divisional rival.

Buffalo could dangle young defenseman as way to improve forward corps

I personally look at either a Bowen Byram or Owen Power to potentially be put in a deal to upgrade the team up front; that might be something that happens in the offseason.

With the Maple Leafs desperate to add some much needed help on the blueline thanks to their injuries and also needing a replacement for Morgan Rielly potentially; they have two great choices.

Power, 23, has 12 points in 39 games this season and has 123 points in 281 carer games. He was Buffalo’s 1st overall pick in 2021.

Byram, 24, has 20 points in 40 games this season and has 130 points in 286 career games. He was drafted 4th overall by the Colorado Avalanche in 2019.

Can Toronto afford either player by dangling Easton Cowan?

But paying for them in another story, and the team will no doubt need to deal from their limited asset pool. That means that Easton Cowan could be going the other way as a young, reliable forward who can boost Buffalo’s lineup now and in the future.

The question then becomes, who would Cowan be able to bring back? Power has yet to truly show his two-way capabilities but the potential and talent is certainly there. Byram meanwhile has shown a little more consistency though would offer more of a defensive defenseman than Power.

Cowan has proven that he can be an everyday NHL player and while the offense has not exploded, he’s still put up 12 points in 31 games including a goal on Tuesday night vs. Florida.

If Toronto is confident that they need a defender more than they need Cowan, then it’s likely you would see them dangle Cowan in a package for Power or Byram. It’s one of the riskiest gambles Toronto can make, but they’re at a point where they have to go all-in or go home.