As is normal, the Toronto Maple Leafs are a topic of discussion right now – specifically, when it comes to potential trades the Maple Leafs might be involved in. However, from this writer’s perspective, the Leafs [http://thn.com/toronto] can’t afford to throw in their remaining top young prospects in any trade. They’ve already mortgaged the future in recent years by parting ways with youngsters in their system, and they’re nearly completely bereft of high-end up-and-coming talent. And if that means they don’t go out and get a veteran like Calgary [http://thn.com/calgary]’s Nazem Kadri, so be it. Indeed, the Leafs have said goodbye to many prospects of late: center Fraser Minten was dealt to the Boston Bruins [http://thn.com/boston] for defenseman Brandon Carlo last season, and winger Nikita Grebenkin was shipped to Philadelphia [http://thn.com/philadelphia] for center Scott Laughton. While neither Minten nor Grebenkin will be all-stars anytime soon, they were valuable components of Toronto’s future. Will Auston Matthews or William Nylander score more goals in 2025-26? And now, whether it’s OHL star winger Easton Cowan, defenseman Ben Danford or center Tyler Hopkins, the Leafs need to say “no” to including their top prospects in any deal. And that goes no matter what short-term fix we’re talking about for Toronto. Sure, you can probably get a few years out of 33-year-old Pittsburgh Penguins [http://thn.com/pittsburgh] winger Bryan Rust or 32-year-old Penguins forward Rickard Rakell, but is that worth losing out on a decade-and-a-half of a crafty performer like Cowan? We don’t think so. Similarly, the Flames are going to want an arm and a leg for Kadri, who we still see as a good fit for Toronto. But Leafs GM Brad Treliving has to keep in mind the long-term good of the franchise, and that means holding hard to at least a handful of talents their scouting department has hit home runs with. That’s certainly the case with Cowan, who may not be the next coming of former Leaf Mitch Marner, but who nonetheless has more skill than most Leafs prospects, if not all Leafs prospects. Trading him should be a non-starter for Leafs management. Because before you know it, Toronto will be at the end of its competitive cycle, and at that point, Leafs fans will be crying out in agony if the Leafs’ cupboard is basically bare. Tyler Kleven covers Easton Cowan. (Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images) [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/84683f6d-1f43-4ecd-b4af-11c52fc48385.jpeg] Tyler Kleven covers Easton Cowan. (Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images) Thus, there has to be some restraint on Treliving’s behalf when it comes to trading away prospects. The Maple Leafs are indeed built to win now, but it doesn’t make sense to knowingly abandon Toronto’s chances of staying competitive regardless of where they are in any particular season. Treliving has to draw a line somewhere, and we’re at that point where the line has to be drawn. The Leafs are almost assuredly going to be a playoff team next season. But giving away everything in their prospect drawer just isn’t good management. There needs to be at least a few solid young players in Toronto’s system – and that can’t happen just to acquire the veteran-of-the-moment. Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen] and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.
