Leafs confirm promotion for Easton Cowan, demotion for another veteran forward

On a day where the Maple Leafs have already surprised some by selecting rookie Dennis Hildeby to start over a healthy Joseph Woll, fresh off of a big comeback win over the Chicago Blackhawks, the team has also committed to two pretty significant changes to their lineup.

Struggling to find his footing despite being given ample opportunity to do so with some pretty good linemates, the Maple Leafs have demoted Max Domi all the way down to the 4th line, next to Steven Lorentz and Scott Laughton.

Domi has just 1 lone assist in his last 5 games, despite playing a healthy amount with Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies on the team's top line. Domi's 13 minutes of ice time against the Blackhawks on Tuesday was the lowest ice time he's seen since back on November 15th, ironically, also against the Blackhawks.

The beneficiary of the Domi demotion was none other than rookie winger Easton Cowan, who skated next to John Tavares and Nicholas Robertson on the team's 2nd line on Thursday during the morning skate.

Cowan hasn't produced much more than Domi, being limited to just 1 goal and 1 assist in his last 4 games, but the difference in their energy levels on the ice has been noticeable. Cowan has been absolutely buzzing and creating a ton of chances, while Domi has been inconsistent and hasn't played with a ton of pace recently.

The Leafs have continued to quietly search from upgrades behind the scenes as the group has worked their way back from a 9-10-3 record to 15-12-5 after a 6-2-2 run over their last 10 games.

Domi is reportedly one of several players in Toronto who has been added to the trading block and could be moved if the team can find a suitable deal. Brandon Carlo and Matias Maccelli are two other player rumoured to be on the trading block in Toronto.

The Leafs would love to bank a win tonight against the Capitals, who are one of the teams currently sitting ahead of them in the Eastern Conference Wild Card race. The Leafs have 1 game in hand on the Caps and are just 5 points back of Alex Ovechkin's crew.