The Maple Leafs May Have More Options Than They Think

There are a lot of questions heading into Toronto Maple Leafs training camp, but here's one that's actually kind of fun. What if Gavin McKenna and Easton Cowan both give the Maple Leafs a reason to put them in the top six? It doesn't have to be an either-or decision. These two players bring very different things to the lineup, and that's what makes this worth watching.

If McKenna can make it work with Auston Matthews, he gives the team the kind of creative playmaker it has been looking for, while Cowan could bring some speed, a high level of compete, and some puck-retrieving ability to a line with John Tavares. Neither player has to beat out the other. The team can simply figure out where each one fits best—and that could be the more interesting question once camp gets going.

For the first time in seasons, the Maple Leafs’ top-six has some new young energy.

The interesting part isn't really whether McKenna or Cowan makes the top six. It's that Toronto suddenly has two young players who could change how the top six is constructed. McKenna is the obvious offensive wild card. If he looks ready, they could put him beside Matthews and give their best centre a dynamic playmaker. Cowan doesn't have McKenna's draft pedigree or offensive ceiling, but his willingness to compete, retrieve pucks and make plays could make him an interesting fit beside Tavares.

That creates a pretty nice situation for the team. They don't necessarily have to decide which youngster is better. They can decide which youngster fits which line better. And that could be the more important question heading into camp.

If McKenna shows he can handle the NHL right away, Matthews-McKenna could become the offensive line everyone watches. If Cowan continues to mature, he could give Tavares a younger, faster winger who does some of the dirty work and creates space.

McKenna and Cowan would be competing in a far different way.

Toronto doesn't need McKenna and Cowan to fight for the same job. The Maple Leafs could use them in completely different ways, and that's potentially one of the biggest benefits with both players developing into the organization at roughly the same time. McKenna could be the player who raises the ceiling of the top six. Cowan could be the player who makes one of those lines harder to play against.

The Maple Leafs don't need McKenna and Cowan to become the same kind of player. In fact, it's probably better if they don't. Together, they create a pretty good situation for Toronto. If both players take another step, the team suddenly has some genuine internal options when putting their top two lines together. And after all the talk about adding players this summer, having a couple of young forwards push their way into important roles would be a pretty nice development.