Maple Leafs can’t afford to repeat this mistake with Easton Cowan

The Toronto Maple Leafs can't make a similar mistake they have made in the past with Easton Cowan. Nicholas Robertson was a player whom the Maple Leafs had mismanaged from the beginning of his career. Robertson, who had an outstanding junior career, was unable to translate this to the NHL. Cowan has seen similar success in junior, but the Maple Leafs can't waste his potential.

Junior success for Robertson

Nick Robertson's junior and AHL career was nothing but spectacular. Robertson was looking to become the steal of the 2019 draft as the Maple Leafs, as he dominated every level he played in after being drafted. The year after he was drafted, Robertson scored 55 goals and 31 assists for 86 points in 46 games with the Peterborough Petes. Those numbers are unheard of. Robertson was set to become a true NHL superstar. Robertson had also seen success with the Toronto Marlies, as he was a point per game in 2021-22 while scoring 16 goals in 28 games. Robertson had developed well, but up until this season, Robertson has fallen short of expectations. The. Maple Leafs can't have the same go wrong for Easton Cowan.

The Toronto Maple Leafs coaching staff did not allow Robertson to prove himself at the highest level. Sheldon Keefe often left Robertson out of the lineup, and when he did get minutes, it was in the bottom six. The highest time on ice Robertson got in the Sheldon Keefe era was 11:23. He wasn't given the time and the linemates to carry over the success from his junior career. Once Craig Berube took over, we saw his time on ice improve, and he has become a regular in the Maple Leafs lineup. This season, he has averaged over 12 minutes on the ice per game. While playing with better players. While a lot can be blamed on the coaching staff with Robertson's development in the NHL, you wonder if some of this has to do with Robertson not wanting to play for the Maple Leafs and hoping for a change of scenery. Robertson is an extremely hard worker when on the ice, but when he was given an opportunity, he never seemed to thrive in the spotlight unless they played the Dallas Stars. When given the chance, he never made the most of it, which gave the coaching staff little to no reason to keep him up in the lineup.

Can't make the same mistake with Cowan

The Maple Leafs can't afford to have a similar situation with Easton Cowan. Cowan has all the talent to become an NHL superstar, and if given the opportunity, could make the most out of it. Easton Cowan was the Maple Leafs' 28th overall pick in the 2023 draft. Cowan dominated the OHL during the 2023-24 season, where we saw him produce 96 points, including 34 goals. Cowan has proved to be more of a playmaker rather than a sniper like Robertson, but also has a scoring touch. Cowan, that season, won the OHL player of the year and the OHL playoff MVP. His final year in London was not as good, but still impressive; he managed to tally 69 points in 46 games, including 29 goals. While he played in 8 fewer games, he had a drop of 30 points. Cowan would ultimately skip the AHL and move straight to the NHL as he only played two games with the Marlies this season.

What the Leafs need to do

The Maple Leafs coaching staff has given Cowan the chance to play, and he has seen top-six minutes at points in the season. Cowan's numbers are underwhelming, but he has made an impact past the scoresheet. In 30 games this season, Cowan has four goals and seven assists while being a +2. Craig Berube has taken Cowan out of the lineup at times during the season, but you can't blame Berube for doing this. The Maple Leafs have struggled this season, leaving Berube no choice but to put the best players he feels in the lineup every night, as they are two points behind the Pittsburgh Penguins for the final Wild Card spot. The Maple Leafs game has been improving as of late, but they have left themselves no room for error moving forward.

The Maple Leafs need to trust and give Cowan time to develop throughout the season, rather than playing him lower in the lineup or not at all. We can't see another Nick Robertson situation in Toronto, as they don't have the assets to work with. Cowan will need to be a top player for the Maple Leafs in two to three seasons to keep this team with a fighting chance for the playoffs every season. It will be interesting to see how Craig Berube manages Cowan moving forward.