Maple Leafs Need to Have a Serious Talk about Easton Cowan

The Toronto Maple Leafs cannot ignore the fact that Easton Cowan has become more than just a top prospect. The Cowboy’s start to this season has fully entrenched him as a member of the team’s top six.

And that situation should lead to a serious conversation about Cowan’s place in the lineup.

At the moment, Cowan has a firm grasp on a top-six lineup spot with John Tavares out with an injury. But when Tavares returns, the team needs to keep Cowan in the top six.

There’s really no question about it.

Cowan has looked increasingly confident playing on a line with Nick Paul and Kirill Marchenko. If anything, his goal against Columbus on Tuesday night exemplified just how far Cowan has come.

With the Maple Leafs up 3-1 midway through the second period, Easton Cowan was on the penalty kill with William Nylander. The duo set off on a rush, leading to Cowan’s first career shorthanded goal.

That goal exemplified two things about Cowan this season.

The first thing is that the organization wants to find more playing time for the 21-year-old. And the only real place where the team could find more ice time in on the penalty kill. Cowan rewarded the Maple Leafs’ belief in him by netting the shortie.

The other thing is that Easton Cowan has earned the coaching staff’s trust. He’s no longer the type of player that only goes out there in a sheltered role. He’s become the sort of player that coaches can deploy in any situation.

And, at the end of the day, that makes him highly valuable to the organization.

Easton Cowan Is No Longer Part of Trade Talk

One of the rumors that’s out there is the fact that Cowan is no longer part of trade discussions. Two seasons ago, the Maple Leafs dangled both Cowan and Fraser Minten in front of the Carolina Hurricanes in a potential Mikko Rantanen trade.

The Hurricanes had reportedly accepted one of them in the potential deal, before eventually backing out.

While everyone knows how well Minten has turned out with the Boston Bruins, it’s horrifying to think what would have happened if Easton Cowan, for example, had landed in Carolina.

While missing out on Rantanen really stung at the time, it’s good to know that the Maple Leafs managed to hold on to one solid prospect.

Maple Leafs May End up with the Steal of First-Round in 2023 Draft

All told, the Maple Leafs may end up with the biggest steal of the first round in the 2023 NHL Draft. Toronto picked Easton Cowan 28^th overall, after some rather doubtful picks.

It’s worth bearing in mind that this is the draft in which Connor Bedard went first overall, Leo Carlsson second, and Adam Fantilli third. And when looking at the trajectory of these players, Cowan isn’t far behind.

No, The Cowboy isn’t on track to become captain. He isn’t likely to get the massive paydays that Carlsson and Fantilli got.

But when looking at the grander scheme of things, there’s little doubt that Cowan could become a top-10 pick in future re-drafts.

This article was originally published on HEAVY

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