With Toronto Maple Leafs training camp set to open on Thursday, a lot of eyes will be on 20-year-old Easton Cowan. After accomplishing a historic list of achievements at the major junior level with the London Knights, including winning the 2024 Red Tilson Trophy as the OHL's Most Outstanding Player and winning the Memorial Cup in 2025, the only remaining question is if the player has a shot at making the Maple Leafs lineup this season.
"He had an exceptional year. He won a championship. He got to experience a lot of things. [The] World Junior Championship went through a lot of development, not just on the ice but off the ice. I think he's ready now to come and try to push to be on the team," Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving said of Cowan. "Now, is that now? Is that October? Is that December? Is that a year from now? The players will decide. And it really does come down to that. The players tell us. They tell us each day. They'll tell us at the end of camp. And so that's what the next three-ish weeks are for.”
Cowan is arguably Toronto’s top prospect right now, and with the departure of Mitch Marner this summer, a player with Cowan’s offensive acumen could help the Maple Leafs. At the same time, the Leafs want to make sure they don’t rush him to a point where he’s on the team before he is ready.
Easton Cowan Adds Size, Reveals What It Will Take To Make Maple Leafs Roster Out Of Training CampAll eyes are on Easton Cowan as he heads to the Toronto Maple Leafs’ rookie tournament in Montreal this weekend. The prospect will play professional hockey for the first time this season. His performance this weekend and at the Leafs’ upcoming training camp will determine if he plays in the NHL with the Leafs or in the AHL with the Toronto Marlies.Cowan played one of Toronto’s two games at the Rookie Showcase event in Montreal last weekend. The player added some size and weight to his frame this summer, coming in at 190 pounds and 5-foot-11. Knowing he’s going to play in Toronto no matter if it’s with the Maple Leafs or the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League, Cowan emphasized working on the defensive side of his game for any long-term success.
“I just gotta be a worker, gotta be a hound, get pucks in, get pucks out, play simple because me and the Leafs organization know that if I do that my offense will take over. So just focus on defense first and the offense will come,” Cowan said last week.
Takeaways From Maple Leafs' First Game Of Prospect Showdown Against SenatorsDespite the Toronto Maple Leafs’ prospects falling to the Ottawa Senators in Game 1 at the Prospect Showdown in Montreal, there were some positives as the players became more comfortable in their first game since the summer break.
With the Maple Leafs getting deeper at the forward position this season, it may prove tough for Cowan to make Toronto’s lineup. He’ll have to show he has the physicality and consistency to outwork others in front of him. But even if he doesn’t make the club out of camp, the Leafs could call him up later in the season when needed if injuries pop up.
What probably would have been best for Cowan last year was playing in the American Hockey League, but the player wasn’t eligible because he was under 20. Per the CBA and agreement with the Canadian Hockey League, 19-year-olds were required to return to their junior club if they didn’t make an NHL lineup. That will change beginning next season as each NHL team will be allowed one exception per year.
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