Toronto Maple Leafs top prospect Easton Cowan just lifted the Memorial Cup as a member of the London Knights a few months ago but now that is all in the past and all he can focus on is making the NHL. And he spent his entire summer trying to get better and prepare for what could be a crucial training camp for the young winger.
Cowan himself was able to explain just how his summer went and what exactly he was able to achieve before taking the ice later this month.
“It all went well, I put on weight and got better,” Cowan said via the Toronto Sun. “I’ve been skating with the NHL guys who are all funneling back now. They’re all coming up to me to give congrats (for his London Knights winning the Memorial Cup) asking how my summer’s been. Little messages like that go a long way and I feel a little closer and comfortable around all of them. I’m feeling good out there, excited for camp.”
Several members of the Leafs, such as Max Domi and Auston Matthews, are back and on the ice in Toronto. And it's even better to see that they have started to take Cowan even more under their collective wing than before. We're sure that they can all see the Memorial Cup champion's skill and are rooting hard for him to use it to be an immediate teammate.
And that is all that Cowan wants, as well, as he explained more where his head is at in early September and what his focus is on.
“My mindset right now is to make the Toronto Maple Leafs,” Cowan said. “That’s my goal. We’re at an NHL camp and that’s where I’m at until further notice. This is definitely the most confident I’ve ever felt — faster, stronger, bigger. So that’s going to help me out a lot. I’ve put in the work this summer. Now, it’s just go out there and prove I can play.”
As he said, now it's all up to what happens for the next couple of weeks. Cowan could put in a training camp performance that rivals some of the most bona fide NHL stars, but all that matters is if Leafs general manager Brad Treliving is able to shed some of the dead weight at the bottom of his roster. Players like David Kampf and Calle Jarnkrok are useful in some aspect, but right now they are preventing Cowan from a true opportunity to make this team. And unless those two veterans are perfectly fine with being sent down on waivers and reporting to the AHL, then some other move would need to be made to give a spot for the 20-year-old winger.
While no official date has been announced, Leafs training camp should start in the next couple of weeks with the first preseason exhibition game taking place on Sept. 21 in Ottawa taking on the Senators.