No. 1: Easton Cowan
The entire Leafs summer has been built around Auston Matthews' captaincy and whether or not Mitch Marner or John Tavares will re-sign, when in a different year, I think we would all be talking about Easton Cowan.
His skillset is incredible and if he can live up to expectations, it's quite possible that he could end up being the biggest steal of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.
With the No. 28 overall selection in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, the Leafs "reached" for Cowan and it paid off. Many people didn't see Cowan as a first-round pick, but the Leafs staff deserves an A+ for this pick, especially if it pays off in the NHL.
Wirh 34 goals and 96 points in 56 games, Cowan dominated the OHL and continued that in the playoffs, as he finished with 10 goals and 34 points in 18 games, leading the London Knights to an OHL Championship, winning the MVP en route.
The Leafs need another winger, so if Cowan can showcase his elite skills during training camp and show some chemistry along the team's core-four, I wouldn't be shocked to see him start the season with the Leafs. I'm not predicting that he stays with the team for the entire year, but in my opinion, it's his spot to lose at this point.