In today’s NHL rumor rundown, we look at Easton Cowan making strong impressions in training camp and preseason, and how it appears that he will be in the opening night lineup for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Elsewhere, Luke Evangelista got a deal with the Nashville Predators, which makes Alexander Holtz the only remaining top restricted free agent (RFA). Finally, the Ottawa Senators made a trade with the New Jersey Devils, which could be a direct response to Arber Xhekaj of the Montreal Canadiens.
Cowan Gets Spot in Lineup After Laughton Injured, Kampf Waived
There was plenty of news surrounding the Toronto Maple Leafs on Oct. 3, including David Kampf being placed on waivers and Scott Laughton being listed as week-to-week after suffering a lower-body injury. While this is bad news to the two players involved, for Cowan, it opens the door wide open for a roster spot.
Cowan has had an impressive career with the London Knights, but at the professional level, he hasn’t proven anything yet. He has come into training camp battling hard for a roster spot, and he has done enough to earn one. The only issue was that there was an abundance of bottom-six forwards battling for spots, and nothing was guaranteed.
It is hard to find an agreement on what to expect out of Cowan this season. Many believe he needs some time in the American Hockey League to get used to the pro level, while some think he could contend for the Calder Trophy.
Related: The Maple Leafs Face a Big Lineup Decision with Easton Cowan
The fair expectation is likely in the middle, where he plays at the NHL level, scoring 35-40 points. That would be a very successful season for Cowan, and the Maple Leafs would likely be very happy with that. It all comes down to the role he is going to play. As of now, he is lining up in the bottom six and likely won’t have a huge offensive role, but he does have the talent to be elevated in the lineup if that is deemed the best fit.
Evangelista Signs, Holtz Still Waiting
As the end of preseason closes in, there were only two remaining NHL RFAs, Evangelista and Holtz. While neither player was expected to get one of the many monster contracts signed recently, they were still holding out for what they deemed fair.
Evangelista signed a two-year deal worth $3 million per season. He has been a good young player for the Predators over the past two and a half seasons, and as the organization looks to turn things around after a disappointing season in 2024-25.
Many insiders, including Frank Seravalli and David Pagnotta, expressed confusion on what the hold-up was on the deal. Throughout the whole negotiation, many anticipated the deal to come in very close to, or exactly at what was signed. Players missing training camps can hurt their development. They are going to be two to three weeks behind everybody else in terms of getting game-ready.
Regardless, Evangelista is signed now, will report to the Predators’ camp, and get ready for the season. This leaves just Holtz remaining for NHL RFAs.
For Holtz, signing a contract appears to be more of a formality at this point. He is attending the Golden Knights’ camp on a professional tryout, and while the club looks to move around some salary and clear up their salary cap situation, he has been playing well.
PuckPedia does a great job of breaking down the situation here, but essentially, it would make sense for the Golden Knights to wait to finalize the contract as late as they can to maximize their long-term injured reserve pool for the 2025-26 season. As it stands now, the team has roughly $1.1 million to give to Holtz, which is fair on a one-year deal.
Senators Acquire MacDermid, Likely a Response to Xhekaj
It was announced in the evening of Oct. 3 that the Senators have traded forward Zack MacEwen to the Devils for Kurtis MacDermid. Those who follow the NHL closely will know that MacDermid is one of the best fighters in the league, and while MacEwen does certainly have a tough edge to him, he isn’t quite at the same level as MacDermid.
After a rough bout against the Canadiens on Sept. 30, the Senators are very likely making this deal in preparation ahead of the final preseason game, which is against the Habs again. Both Senators Hayden Hodgson and Nick Cousins received fines following the game; there were plenty of dirty shots given both ways, and Xhekaj did what he does best by being physical and getting into the Senators’ heads.
It appears that the toughness from the Canadiens may have impacted the management decision, too. MacDermid was acquired the day before the last game, and while travel isn’t too bad, it could be a close call to get him into the lineup.
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