In a league where 19-year-olds typically dominate, Easton Cowan decided to light the world on fire.
The 2023-24 season went as good as you’d hope for for the Toronto Maple Leafs’ first-round pick in 2023. Nobody could have foreseen just how dominant he ended up becoming, scoring 34 goals and 96 points in the regular season before leading all players with 34 points in 18 playoff games. Cowan helped the London Knights win the OHL title before falling short during the Memorial Cup.
Still, it was one of the biggest glow-ups from a Leafs prospect ever. Sure, he was a first-round pick, but a surprising one at that. Clearly, the Leafs saw something in him, and it paid off hugely in his Draft+1 season – a year highlighted by an insane 36-game point streak.
Many in the Leafs fanbase wanted to see Cowan start the 2024-25 NHL season with the big club. And if you listened into the online hysteria, you could have been convinced it was going to happen. Heck, even some NHL scouts thought he deserved a shot. But the reality was that was never the right move. Coach Craig Berube gave him an opportunity to play with some quality linemates and it just never seemed to click – and that’s OK, Cowan is just 19, and was a fringe first-round pick. There’s absolutely no reason to rush him now, or even next year.
So far, so good. Cowan made his season debut on Wednesday, scoring a shorthanded goal and registering seven shots. Going from playing against NHL competition for two weeks in the preseason to battling against your peers in the OHL can be a bigger adjustment than you’d expect, but he already looks good.
Toronto can afford to be patient here. They’ve got a good lineup, and there’s no point in shoehorning Cowan into a situation where he won’t have a chance to thrive. But on the flip side, there’s concerns about going to the OHL, dominating and gaining very little out of it.
Not if Cowan handles his development in the right way.
Despite being Toronto’s top prospect, Cowan is far from perfect. For as good of a season he had, there were still some more average traits about his game that he can focus on this summer. He’s a good skater, but finding another step in his speed will allow him to become an even more dangerous attacker. Cowan is quite tenacious and always wants the puck on his stick, and his added bulk last year made him more difficult to play against.
But at 5-foot-11, he’s not big and can still have difficulties outmuscling older players along the boards. That’ll only be amplified in the NHL one day, but Cowan can work on that as he continues to bulk up. For what it’s worth, many in the scouting world feel confident he’ll be able to handle the next level physically at his current rate.
As competitive as Cowan is, his hockey sense can be questioned. He’s confident in himself and that showed with how good he looked last year in London. But he was prone to throwing the puck up blindly down the middle and then having to fight his way back the other way. Cowan proved nightly that he could handle a bit of adversity, but careless mistakes will get him into trouble against the world’s best players.
Cowan isn’t likely going to be a top-line forward with Toronto, either at center or the wing. In the NHL, his best value will be as a toolsy, all-around, competitive forward you can easily slot in anywhere and get the job done. Players like that are extremely valuable, and that’s why Cowan should work on being a bit more active in his own zone and taking space away everywhere he can. Cowan can clearly drive offense and is a great playmaker, but better 200-foot commitment will make him even more valuable.
“He competes hard in the offensive zone, but he needs to match that intensity around his own net,” another scout said. “Then he’ll be set.”
Overall, Cowan’s progression over the past 18 months has been incredible. Don’t expect any different as he chases 100 points, a leading role on Canada’s World Junior Championship team and another chance at the Memorial Cup. But fine-tuning the other elements of his game will allow him to step into the pro game next year and make a bigger impact. Some time with the Marlies wouldn’t hurt next year as he figures out how to deal with the heightened pace and physicality.
There’s absolutely no reason to rush Cowan – because the payoff could be massive if they handle him correctly.
