Toronto Maple Leafs Prospect Easton Cowan Dominant in OHL Finals

Heading into the multiple Conference Finals across the Canadian Hockey League, the Toronto Maple Leafs had three prospects remaining and impacting their series greatly.

Unfortunately, the Saskatoon Blades blew a 3-2 series lead in their WHL Conference Final which meant Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Fraser Minten and Brandon Lisowsky had their seasons come to end.

With the Blades season done, the one remaining prospect was Easton Cowan of the London Knights who just recently won the Ontario Hockey League's Most Outstanding Player.

Cowan and his Knights opened up their OHL Championship against the Oshawa Generals in London on Thursday night and to say the Maple Leafs top prospect took over the game is an understatement.

Toronto Maple Leafs Prospect Easton Cowan Dominant in OHL Finals

Through the first three rounds of the playoffs the Mount Brydges native had collected 19 points in 14 playoff games which was after a regular season that saw him put up 96-points.

Thursday night, it did not take long for Cowan to get things going as he helped set up Philadelphia Flyers prospect Oliver Bonk on the powerplay to put the Knights up 1-0 just under nine minutes into the contest.

Before the end of the first period Cowan would get the primary assist on what turned out to be the game winning goal and then just 28 seconds into the second period he would again set up Bonk for his second of the game.

Cowan would chip in with his eight goal of the playoffs midway through the second period before finally finishing off with his fifth point of the game before the end of the second period. The Knights would put the game on cruise control and take Game 1 against the Generals by a score of 8-1.

Cowan would finish the night with the First Star of the Game with his five point performance, which four of them would be primary points.

According to Sportsnet, Cowan's five points was the most in a playoff game by a Knights player since Matthew Tkachuk and Mitch Marner equaled that mark in 2016.

It looks as though the Toronto Maple Leafs 28th overall selection is proving to the organization that another tour of the OHL is likely not necessary and making a case to make the NHL team for the 2024-25 season. Unfortunately, if he does not make the Leafs he is ineligible to be sent to the Toronto Marlies and would have to return to London.

The Generals and Knights will face off in Game 2 of the series Saturday night.