Craig Berube's Most Recent Comments on Easton Cowan are Very Telling About His Immediate Future

With training camp set to wrap up this week and the Maple Leafs gearing up for the season, the lineup is finally starting to take shape, and perhaps not how everyone expected it to.

What stands out most is how the younger, faster, and hungrier players are pushing out the fringe names of years past, and no one embodies that better than Easton Cowan, who was anything but guaranteed a roster spot this year.

Craig Berube has had nothing but praise for the 19-year-old, who has clearly earned his spot by doing everything asked of him.

Cowan's speed, edge, and youthful energy have added a new dynamic to the Leafs' fourth line, which could quietly be one of the best in the league if things hold.

With Steven Lorentz's relentless forecheck, Scott Laughton's steady two-way presence, and Cowan's skill ceiling and willingness to agitate, the unit has all the makings of a real difference-maker.

Cowan's emergence doesn't just make the Leafs' depth better, though -- it could also open the door for him to climb higher in the lineup if needed.

If Matias Maccelli struggles out of the gate (though his preseason suggests otherwise), or if Max Domi misses time with injury, Cowan looks capable of stepping up.

The fact that he already fits seamlessly into Berube's hard-nosed system only makes the coaching staff's confidence in him that much stronger. At the start of camp, it seemed likely that more established veterans would squeeze out Cowan.

Instead, he's done exactly what the coaches asked and made himself indispensable. For a young player, there's no higher praise than impressing a Stanley Cup-winning head coach, and Cowan has done just that.