Most of the talk surrounding Cowan, the Leafs' 1st round pick (28th overall) in 2023, has been about how he's likely a lock to make the NHL next season, but what if the plan is actually to use him as a trade chip this summer to help improve the team?
Personally, I'm not of the mindset that Treliving will even consider a deal for Cowan with how well he has developed in the last year. However, I can definitely see the argument that TLN's Nick Alberga is making for considering trading the OHL champion after a barnburner of a season with London.
As Alberga pointed out, even if Cowan does make the Leafs out of training camp in 2024-25, it will still be a few years before he reaches his peak, which may not exactly jive with the Leafs' contention window. If the Leafs are in win-now mode, as Alberga suggests, it could make some sense to move Cowan for an impact piece that can help push the team over the top.
Cowan and the Knights are now off to the Memorial Cup tournament, beginning May 24th. If he can add a Memorial Cup to his trophy case, it's going to add a significant amount of value to an already tremendous prospect.
