Maple Leafs linked to NHL's “most punchable face”

The Toronto Maple Leafs are facing a critical 2024-25 campaign that very well could be the final seasons in the tenures of Mitch Marner and John Tavares with the franchise, along with what will be the first year behind the bench of new head coach Craig Berube. 

There have already been several changes to the Leafs roster, as GM Brad Treliving has added and subtracted faces from last season's squad. But could there be some additional sandpaper added from the list of players who are still available on the open market? 

One of the centers that is still looking for a new team is Nick Cousins, who was literally voted to possess the "most punchable face" in the NHL by his peers; 147 total players voted, and Cousins received 28.57% of the vote. 

According to Maple Leafs Daily, Cousins could be an adequate replacement for the scrappy Tyler Bertuzzi, who departed town to sign a four-year deal with the Chicago Blackhawks. Author Ryan Smitheram wrote the following: 

"Mainly remembered by Leafs Nation as the one that eliminated the Maple Leafs in the second round in the 2023 playoffs, Nick Cousins is widely known as the NHL's most disliked players. That's due to the fact that he often crosses the line and then proceeds to turtle or disengage when his teammates step in.

Make no mistake about it, the agitation he brings is something the Leafs lineup still needs after the departure of Tyler Bertuzzi. Cousins can fill that role adequately, although his offensive numbers dipped last season. In 2023-24, we saw the 32-year-old only produce 15 points in 69 regular season games for the Panthers." 

Cousins has scored 71 goals with 109 assists in 592 career NHL games. He was a part of the Florida Panthers Stanley Cup-winning team from 2023-24. 

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