Why Easton Cowan has been scratched by the Maple Leafs

There have been several storylines through a mediocre start for the Toronto Maple Leafs this season.

The struggles are well documented, but one of the biggest storylines throughout the start of the year for the Toronto Maple Leafs is Easton Cowan.

Through the 10 games he's played with the Leafs this season, Cowan has scored a goal and three assists for a total of four points. His first career goal came against Philadelphia, where he sniped it past Dan Vladar's blocker and into the top corner.

Although his first career goal came just two games ago, with Scott Laughton coming back into the line-up from his injury, Cowan is one of the odd men out in the lineup. 

Is scratching Easton Cowan really the right move?

Cowan has certainly shown some flashes. I've liked that he's tried to play with some snarl, even though he's in a new league with grown men. I also liked the jump he's given to a slow line-up, but the reality is he's not there yet when it comes to the defensive side of the game. 

This isn't supposed to be a slight against Cowan; this is a normal part of development for a 20-year-old in this league. Now, the underlying numbers actually don't look all that bad. He has a top-five lowest goals against per 60 minutes (GA/60) of the Leafs forward group (advanced statistics according to Evolving-Hockey.com).

Where I think he's struggling is with the big mistakes in the defensive zone. I've pulled a couple of examples I've noticed through the goals he's been on the ice for. 

The first one I want to point out is the opening goal in the Leafs' five-to-three loss to the Buffalo Sabres earlier this year. 

In this clip, you're going to see Buffalo Sabre, Ryan McLeod, take the puck down by the goal line and deliver a tape-to-tape pass to Mattias Samuelsson, who opens the scoring in the game. When you actually analyze the clip, the Leafs' defensive zone coverage is solid. Dakota Mermis ties his man up in front. Someone is chasing McLeod, but Samuelsson is left open. 

Cowan covered the front of the net with Mermis, who had already tied up his man, but left the trailer (Samuelsson) open. That's a bad read that cost the Leafs a goal. 

This next one isn't all on Cowan. This is a miscommunication between him and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, but Cowan is the guy covering the slot while OEL is pressing Grebenkin. Grebenkin is already being checked, so OEL shouldn't be creeping below the goal line; however, Cowan needs to recognize the situation and take Dvorak, who was alone just below the hashmarks. 

These are just a couple of clips that lead to goals. I'm not trying to put out some sort of hit piece on Cowan, the roster as a whole has been pretty sloppy and he isn't alone in these defensive zone mistakes.

Right now, the Leafs have allowed the ninth most goals in the league. With the Berube style he's implemented, this team needs to be strong defensively. Last season, they ranked eighth in total goals against, and they won the division. 

Time with the Marlies would do Cowan some good and the best part is he doesn't require waivers. If somebody gets hurt again, he can come right back up.

I'm a big fan of his overall game, but time cleaning things up can help him become a full-time, integral part of this roster. 

If you guys want an account to look at highlights from Leaf games on Twitter, follow @TicTacTOmar. He's fantastic at clipping highlights throughout the game.