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From OHL Star to NHL Rookie: Leafs' Easton Cowan Gets Hero's Send-Off from London Knights
Photo credit: Vincent Ethier/CHL
When picking and choosing which accolades are Easton Cowan's most-impressive from his outstanding OHL career, the London Knights reached a very understandable decision on Sunday: Just list them all.
Easton Cowan was coming into Maple Leafs training camp with a very specific goal, which was to make the NHL out of camp.
The odds were stacked up against Cowan, as the Leafs came into camp with approxiomately 15 NHL-caliber fowards. Cowan did end up defying the odds, making the Maple Leafs' 23-man roster for opening night. However, he did not dress for the occasion.
Easton Cowan Set to Debut for the Leafs
After spending the first two games in the press box, an unfortunate injury to depth forward Steven Lorentz has officially opened the door for Cowan to sneak into the Leafs' lineup, which he will do on Monday, according to Leafs beat reporter Terry Koshan in his most recent article for the Toronto Sun.
Cowan's Opportunity Much Bigger Than Expected
While most would have assumed that the Leafs would start Cowan out slow, sheltering him by playing him in the bottom six, the Leafs have taken a different approach, with Cowan sporting a blue top-six jersey at practice, lining up next to Matthew Knies and Auston Matthews on the top line.
Knights Pump Cowan's Tires Ahead of Leafs Debut
You never forget where you came from, and Cowan has been consistently grateful for the time he spent with Mark and Dale Hunter in London. Likewise, the London Knights have pumped Cowan's tires often, and Sunday's social media post was no different.
(Photo by Vincent Ethier/CHL)
Ahead of Cowan's NHL debut, the Knights once again took the time to celebrate Cowan's many accomplishments, reminding Leafs fans of what to expect from the dynamic winger in time.
Memorial Cup Champion
2x OHL Champion
Memorial Cup MVP
OHL playoffs MVP
Most playoff points in team history
2x OHL playoffs scoring leader
2nd all-time in OHL playoff points
OHL regular season MVP
Longest point streak in team history
Next stop,
@MapleLeafs
2x OHL Champion
Memorial Cup MVP
OHL playoffs MVP
Most playoff points in team history
2x OHL playoffs scoring leader
2nd all-time in OHL playoff points
OHL regular season MVP
Longest point streak in team history
Next stop,
@MapleLeafs
We Must Temper Expectations for Cowan in NHL Debut
While Cowan is not likely to immediately become a star, his resume does speak for itself. He has the tools to become a feature player for the Leafs, but now it's all about putting it all together at a higher level, where there's less time and space.
Cowan offered some thoughts on his impending debut over the weekend, sharing his excitement for getting to share the moment with his family. Overall, though, his message was that he intends to have fun with it.
Cowan saw a bit of a dip in production during the regular season in 2024-25, amassing just 69 points, compared to the 96 points he had produced in 2023-24. However, Cowan exploded offensively when it mattered, producing 13 goals and 39 points in just 17 games.
Cowan's Relentless Motor an Asset for the Maple Leafs
Cowan's game is much more suited to translate to the NHL than many other 20-year-olds, who rely more on their skill than their work ethic and relentless motor. Cowan has that relentless motor, as Leafs coach Craig Berube alluded to last week.
Leafs Putting Cowan in a Position to Succeed Right Away
The Leafs putting Cowan with Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies straight out of the gate speaks volumes about how the organization feels about the player. If they had doubts, Cowan would be debuting much lower in the lineup.
However, with the belief that GM Brad Treliving and head coach Craig Berube have in Cowan's abilities, it does appear as though they're putting him in a position to succeed.
The Leafs play host to the Detroit Red Wings on Monday afternoon, and for Cowan, the wait appears to be over. Now, it's up to him to make the most of his opportunity.
Previously on Maple Leafs Daily
| POLL | ||
OCTOBRE 13 | 511 ANSWERS From OHL Star to NHL Rookie: Leafs' Easton Cowan Gets Hero's Send-Off from London Knights Do you think Easton Cowan scores in his NHL debut? | ||
| Yes | 118 | 23.1 % |
| No | 393 | 76.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
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