If Easton Cowan Wants to Make the Maple Leafs, Here's Who He Has To Push Out In Training Camp

In recent memory, the Maple Leafs haven't had much luxury when it comes to young players stepping in, making an impact, and giving the team some cap relief. But Easton Cowan might be different.

The homegrown London Knight looks extremely promising and is heading into training camp with real confidence that he can make the team. Honestly, I don't necessarily disagree with him.

One player Cowan could push out is Michael Pezzetta, who the Leafs signed this past free agency to a very team-friendly deal. In 25 games with the Canadiens last year, Pezzetta had zero points, 24 penalty minutes, and a -2 rating. But, that's not really what you're getting with him. At 6'1», 219 pounds, he's not afraid of the dirty corners and will fight a few times a year. Which you can use, especially since trading Ryan Reaves to the San Jose Sharks earlier this year.

Calle Järnkrok is another fringe guy. He has one year left at just over $2 million, but hasn't delivered much in Toronto. He did log a fair amount of playoff games this past year, but with only one assist in 12 appearances. In the regular season, he scored one goal and had seven points in 19 games, but was often injured, and even when healthy, found himself in and out of the lineup.

David Kämpf is in a similar spot. He played 59 regular-season games with five goals and 13 points but only got into one playoff game, spending the rest as a healthy scratch. He's defensively responsible, sure, but he doesn't hit much and doesn't provide much offense either.

With two years left at $2.4 million, his deal often comes up as a potential cap move. And, with Scott Laughton coming from last season's trade deadline and fitting that role far better, Kämpf seems like the odd man out.

That's where Cowan has his chance. If he comes into training camp and really impresses, he could earn that last spot, maybe even grabbing a role on the third line. His speed and offensive instincts would be a welcome boost to the Leafs' depth. But in the end, it all comes down to how strong a camp Cowan puts together.