The Toronto Maple Leafs have finalized their official roster for tonight’s pre-season finale against the Detroit Red Wings, and Easton Cowan will not be in the lineup.
Heading into tonight’s game against Detroit with a 3-1-1 pre-season record, the Maple Leafs are aiming to wrap up training camp and the pre-season on a high note with a strong performance at Scotiabank Arena. They will then hit the road to start the 2024-25 regular season, facing Montreal and New Jersey on consecutive nights, October 9th and 10th.
The lineup tonight will closely resemble the one set for opening night, with a few exceptions. Nick Robertson, Calle Jarnkrok, and Jake McCabe, who all sustained injuries in Thursday’s win over Detroit, will sit out to ensure they’re ready for next week’s season opener against the Canadiens.
With McCabe sidelined, Philippe Myers will get one final chance to make an impression on the coaching staff. However, it is expected that he will be waived and assigned to the Toronto Marlies regardless of his performance.
Perhaps the most notable surprise is that Easton Cowan, who was not sent back to the OHL yesterday, is not in the lineup for tonight’s final pre-season game, despite playing in each of the first five games. This could suggest that he may stay with the team for a short trial period — similar to what Fraser Minten experienced last season — or that he could be cut in the next few days and sent back to the London Knights.
It is expected that Joseph Woll will play the entire game tonight, following Anthony Stolarz’s full 60-minute performance on Thursday, where he secured a 2-0 shutout victory for the Maple Leafs.
It’s anticipated that Leafs GM Brad Treliving has a trade or two lined up to help the team get under the salary cap before opening night. Tonight’s game may serve as a showcase for a few players while Robertson, McCabe, and Jarnkrok recover. Notably, Robertson returned to practice on Saturday, indicating that his injury may not be serious.
With Timothy Liljegren not in the lineup tonight, it’s likely that either he and his $3 million cap hit are being offered in trade talks, or the Maple Leafs are looking to showcase Conor Timmins, who has one year remaining on his current contract with a more affordable $1.1 million cap hit.