Easton Cowan is ready for an extended role with the Toronto Maple Leafs after a somewhat successful rookie season. He was in and out of the lineup under Craig Berube, but still managed 29 points in 66 games before going down to the Toronto Marlies and helping lead them to a Calder Cup with 18 points in 22 games. There were some growing pains, but Cowan has been proving some of the doubters wrong.
The question now for first-year head coach Jim Hiller is where Cowan will slot into the lineup. Daily Faceoff projects him to start the year on the third line with Teddy Blueger and Dakota Joshua, but Colton Sissons and Nick Paul could easily move up into that third-line slot with Cowan. If Paul can rediscover his form that made him a valuable piece in Tampa Bay, it'd be hard to see him playing a fourth-line role in Toronto.
One thing you can nearly guarantee is that Cowan won't be a healthy scratch many nights with Hiller in charge. It was understandable to make the rookie earn it, but there were many nights when people questioned why he was the odd man out, and it's unlikely that Hiller or even John Chayka would have the same mindset about him this season.
Will Easton Cowan move into the top-six for Maple Leafs?
Daily Faceoff projects that Jack Roslovic will start on the first line with Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies. Roslovic and Matthews are familiar with each other from their pre-NHL days, and putting their new signing in a place to succeed would make sense. However, as everyone saw in his duties with the Edmonton Oilers last season, the scoring winger could start hot, but it's unlikely he will sustain it over an 84-game season.
That eventual falloff should open the door for Cowan to move up, and it won't be because of his scoring. Roslovic plays well as a trigger-man with someone else getting him the puck, but clearly that may not work alongside Matthews and Knies. One of Cowan's underrated strengths is his dogged pursuit of the puck on the forecheck, which can help extend offensive zone time and get puck possession for the team's scorers.
If Cowan does move up, a risky but interesting top-six combination could also involve Gavin McKenna up from the second line to play with him and Matthews. In that scenario, it'd be Cowan getting puck possession and putting it into the hands of McKenna and Matthews to work their magic in the offensive zone, with Cowan being the benefactor of plenty of opportunities to clean up their work.
It's a risky move to have Matthews on the top line with a rookie and a sophomore, but it'd still be an upgrade over some of the combinations Berube forced him into last season. If the trio worked, the second line of Knies, John Tavares, and William Nylander wouldn't be outmatched on many nights. If the Maple Leafs want to maximize their offensive depth after not upgrading it a ton this offseason, a top-six Cowan could be the way to do it.
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