The Toronto Maple Leafs have now played four of their six preseason games and head coach Craig Berube is getting a good long look of the club's top prospect Easton Cowan as he is the only player to dress in each of the contests.
Berube and Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving will have an important decision to make in less than two weeks as the team prepares for their season opener on October 9 in Montreal and that is whether or not to keep the 19-year old forward on the NHL roster.
During the 2023-24 Maple Leafs training camp Cowan impressed management to the point they kept him around much longer than expected which led to him missing the opening games of his junior team's season. Once back with the London Knights, he would explode and prove that this upcoming season there may not be any beneficial aspect in sending him back. As he has already won an OHL Championship, along with OHL regular season MVP and OHL playoff MVP.
The question now is what is best for the 2024-25 Toronto Maple Leafs and what is best for the development for Cowan. While there are many routes the team should explore throughout the year, there is only one decision that needs to be made coming out of training camp.
The Right Decision for Easton Cowan and the Toronto Maple Leafs
Step One
The Maple Leafs announce that Cowan will make the opening night roster and that he will be with the team for the foreseeable future. The intention would be to have him as the thirteenth forward with the goal of 1-2 games per week. This outcome would be due to the club moving on from Calle Järnkrok, David Kämpf and Ryan Reaves, while signing Max Pacioretty.
In four pre-season game, Easton Cowan has a 56% xGoals rating in his non-Ryan Reaves minutes.
— Editor in Leaf (@EditorinLeaf) September 29, 2024
He has only 1 point, but the team itself only has 5 goals in its last three games.
He has easily earned a 9 game audition, at the very least. #Leafs https://t.co/sLmtnMMVee
Cowan would get into the line-up on scheduled nights off for Pacioretty, or possibly play full time if another player is injured, while also allowing Berube to give some of the other forwards that have yet to play a full NHL season such as Nicholas Robertson, Pontus Holmberg or Connor Dewar the odd regroup night. When you add in the natural amount of injuries to bestow the forward group, Cowan will receive his fair share of games.
The Mount Brydges native would gain valuable experience from working with the team day in and day out, while also taking advantage of watching games from the press box and knowing he'll be back into the line-up likely the next night. By giving Cowan this opportunity he does not need to feel the pressure or be sent back to junior, he has the ability of knowing he can make mistakes.
Step Two
The second stage of the season would come in early December, however the plan would be put into place at the start of the year and letting Cowan know the intention all along would be to make him available for the Team Canada at the World Juniors.
Unless the club desperately needs him or he is overachieving at the NHL level, Cowan can represent his country, while also allowing the Maple Leafs to see one of their Marlies for a few weeks in his place.
Cowan would likely captain Team Canada and take on a bigger role than what he would be seeing in Toronto.
Step Three
The final decision comes after the World Juniors and that is to determine whether or not he returns to the Maple Leafs or gets sent back to London of the Ontario Hockey League.
This obviously depends on how he plays. By this time, they've burned a year of his ELC, so it would make sense to keep him in the NHL and playing regularly, unless he's extrmely outmatched. He also could very well have earned a regular spot in the lineup that prevents him from even being sent to the World Jurniorts.
If he goes back to junior, he can compete for the Memorial Cup, while the Maple Leafs can go out to acquire a veteran for the playoff run,
In conclusion, no matter what route they decide to take throughout the year, Easton Cowan should leave camp with the team and they should commit more than just a 2-3 week experience for him with the club.