Leafs' Easton Cowan Comments on the Assignment of a Lifetime Ahead of His NHL Debut

The Toronto Maple Leafs lost veteran forward Steven Lorentz to an upper-body injury in Saturday's loss to the Detroit Red Wings, which prompted line changes at Sunday's practice, including some exciting news for top prospect Easton Cowan.

Leafs head coach Craig Berube intimated this past weekend that Cowan was really close to making his NHL debut, and not only is that a real possibility for Monday afternoon, but it appears as though he'll debut playing alongside Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies on the Leafs' top line.

It's quite the debut assignment, and while there will certainly be nerves for the 20-year-old, he is far more excited about the opportunity and confident in his abilities to play alongside some of the team's best players.

Considering how flat the Leafs looked on Saturday, Cowan's inclusion on the top line should give them a much different look after a slightly disappointing effort from the top line.

It's not that they were off their games, but Matthews and Knies combined for no points, 9 shots, and a minus-1 rating in over 21 minutes of ice-time; not really the numbers you want to see from your top guns after holding a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes of play.

This change should also provide early fireworks, considering Cowan's skill set is far better suited for the likes of Matthews and Knies, compared to his earlier assignment when he was skating with Lorentz and Scott Laughton during training camp.

Nevertheless, it's going to be exciting for all involved to see what Cowan can do with the opportunity as the Leafs look to get back into the win column as they kick off a 5-game home-stand.