Easton Cowan knows all about that big gaping hole the Maple Leafs have at right wing, created by the departure of Mitch Marner.
The Leafs’ top prospect also knows it’s probably more likely that he plays for the ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ Marlies this season, now that his junior career is over.
“I guess I know where I’ll be living this year,†Cowan said. “Whether you’re going to play in the NHL or AHL, you’ve got to have a mindset of getting better each and every day.
“And that’s what the plan will be.â€
Cowan is at his third Leafs development camp, where the team’s top prospects, most of their recent draft picks, and many free agents from the college and junior ranks start their off-season training. The crowd includes Oshawa Generals defenceman Ben Danford, the team’s top pick in 2024, and Swedish forward Tinus Luc Koblar, the top pick this year.
Cowan has a decent chance of making the Leafs next season after ending junior career with a
Cowan, at 20, is old hat at it now.
“I wouldn’t say I’m too old, but it’s good,†Cowan said. “I get to see everyone again, bond with the new prospects. It’s just good. Everyone’s a good player. So, super fun.â€
The Leafs have exempted Cowan from doing any on-ice drills.
“He’s played over 100 games the last couple of seasons, so it was more to just allow him to have a bit of recovery time, a bit of down time, and (let him) put on some of the weight that he’s lost through the season,†said Hayley Wickenheiser, the Leafs assistant general manager of player development. “He’s going to have a big few months here coming up.â€
That’s a bit of an understatement. Cowan will be heading into his third camp with the Maple Leafs, but the first as the team’s top prospect. He’s a proven winner, the MVP of the Memorial Cup, leaving the London Knights as a champion.
“He made a big jump this year,†Wickenhesier said. “He’s a great kid. The intangibles that he brings, he plays with a lot of passion, a lot of drive, they way he conducts himself as a leader and as an impact player, especially in the Memorial Cup. He produced, led the team.â€
What’s next for Cowan will be one of the more intriguing Leafs stories this summer and fall. The Leafs are in win-now mode, making it hard for a rookie to make the team. Cowan watched as his good friend Fraser Minten was traded at the deadline.
“That one hurt a lot,†Cowan said.
“When things don’t go your way, then changes have to be made,” says Gilmour, who led ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ to
Minten, who had been the team’s top prospect, is now with the Boston Bruins thanks to the Brandon Carlo trade.
“Ever since I (was drafted by) ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½, (Minten has) been great to me,†Cowan said. “He taught me a lot, even though he’s a year older than me. He was a pro and super great guy. I wish him nothing but the best. We talk every day. I know we will keep talking every day. Super happy for him.â€
Minten got into 19 games with the Leaf and 26 with the Marlies before the Leafs traded the future for the present.
The same fate may await Cowan as Leafs GM Brad Treliving looks to find a way to fill the hole left by Marner’s departure.
“That’s on them. That’s what they do,†Cowan said. “For me, it’s playing hockey and focusing on what I can do to get better and make the NHL.â€
After this camp, which winds up Saturday, he will head home to London and return to ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ later in the summer, trying to add a few pounds of muscle.
Wickenheiser says Cowan still has a way to go to elevate his game to the pro level.
“The next step for Easton is the pro habits,†she said. “In junior you can get away with long shifts and lagging, not tracking back pucks. We talk a lot with him about the things that will translate to being an everyday, impactful pro player. So cleaning up those areas of the ice, being able to play on the inside, to play with pace day in and day out, and just to be physically strong so that when he comes in, he can handle the grind.â€
Cowan is going to play pro in October, that’s not in doubt. But how close is he to being NHL-ready?
“Time will tell,†Wickenheiser said. “That’s the question that we all are asking ourselves. My money’s on him, that he’ll be fit enough and prepared enough. The experience, to be able to step in and play, we’ll see probably very quickly when camp starts.â€
What does Cowan think?
“I’m just worried about myself,†he said. “I’m gonna have the chance to get a job. That’s up to me to go out there and show what I can do. It’s still a couple months away. So I’m going to take every day, day by day, and just keep getting better.â€
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