Things could change between now and Friday's trade deadline but the Maple Leafs would like to hang on to their young prospects.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are looking to add to their roster between now and Friday's NHL trade deadline but it doesn't appear as though it's going to come at a cost of any of their young core players. Or at least three in particular.
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman was on the JD Bunkis Podcast and was asked prospects Easton Cowan and Fraser Minten and what the Leafs are willing to trade beyond their first-round pick.
"The one thing I do know is that people have asked about (Matthew) Knies, and Cowan, and Minten and they have said 'no' to this point," Friedman said. "The three players they get asked about the most are those guys.
"Knies, he's already a really good player, but they get asked about Cowan and Minten and they have resisted it and they're not interested."
Friedman points out that it doesn't mean they can't be involved in a possible deal between now and the March 8 deadline, pointing out that what is true yesterday may not be true tomorrow and that things can change.
The Maple Leafs are high on all three players with Knies becoming an everyday NHL forward playing alongside stars Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. The 19-year-old Minten made the Leafs out of camp this season and played four games before returning to Junior. Meanwhile Cowan, Toronto's first pick (28th overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft currently has the longest points streak in the OHL at 29 games and is going for 30 on Wednesday.
It's been reported that the Maple Leafs are looking to add another defenseman (preferably a right shot) and another depth forward. As of right now, the Leafs only have approximately $144,116 in salary cap space, per PuckPedia.com.
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