Easton Cowan

April 2026 – Cowan has become one of the few remotely positive stories of the Maple Leafs 2025-26 campaign, posting nine goals and 16 assists across 60 NHL games in his rookie year – a workload that reflects the trust he has earned on the team to this point. A heart-and-soul forward in the mold of Travis Konecny, he plays his best hockey in meaningful moments, with two OHL championships and a 2025 Memorial Cup MVP performance to his name. That elevation when the chips are down is a quality that the Maple Leafs hope will eventually carry over to the pro game.

His path forward in Toronto hinges on how the organizations retool takes shape. Cowan projects as a priority piece in that process – a player capable of contributing in a middle six role with top six upside alongside the right supporting cast. His ultimate ceiling will depend in part on his willingness to retain possession against aggressive checking in transition and on the offensive zone cycle, a development area to monitor as he matures physically. If he can continue to work his way to the inside, and endeavor to shoot from scoring areas, the Leafs will have a very intriguing player archetype on their hands – and onethat they haven’t had on the team in a while. Ryan Downey

September 2025 – Easton Cowan’s rise within the organization has been astronomical since he was selected 28th overall in 2023. The pick was criticized among draft pundits, as he was excluded from some top-100 lists, and was projected in the second round among plenty of mock drafts. The pick was the first of Brad Treliving’s tenure as the general manager, and Cowan has quickly become the most important prospect, and one of the only ones of consequence, in the system. Cowan has strung together a couple of impressive seasons, posting 93 points in 54 games played in his draft plus one season with two OHL championships and a Memorial Cup to his name.

All the pieces are in place for Cowan to make a run at making the team out of camp. He is likely one who needs more time to marinate with the Toronto Marlies, but he represents an opportunity for the team to use a player on a cheap entry level contract, which they have not had much of in previous years. This makes Cowan a potentially valuable player to the team moving forward, and despite needing to beat someone out to crack the roster, he will almost certainly be given every opportunity to do so. Sean Crocker

January 2025 – At the time of writing, Cowan is on a 60-point game streak in the OHL. Cowan was bashed heavily over his World Juniors performance, a tournament in which he led the team in points, in what was more an example of critiquing selected clips at his worst. For people who have watched more than five seconds of Easton Cowan, he’s continued to impress with his strong skating and high hockey IQ. It still seems Cowan could take a bigger step in his overall game, in some ways he still looks like the player he was last season, especially on defense. May make him more middle-six than top-six if he can’t get stronger. Cowan is consistently producing, but there’s still a better player in him. Austin Kelly

March 2024 – Cowan was the OHL’s hottest player in the second half of the year. The former first-round pick finished his regular season on a 36-game point streak, the CHL’s third-longest mark this century. His streak saw him rack up 68 points to finish his season total at 34 goals and 96 points in 54 games played, a significant jump from his 53 points in 2022-23. Cowan will now look to win a Memorial Cup with the London Knights who finished as the league’s top team. Curtis Rines

January 2024 – Like most of Team Canada, Cowan had a lacklustre World Juniors. Cowan played up and down the lineup but had just one goal, an empty netter, and two points in the five games played. However, he got better and better as the tournament progressed. Cowan’s best game was by far the quarter-final match-up against the Czechs, as he was all over the ice making plays. He is one of a handful of players who will be eligible to play for Team Canada again next year, and I would be surprised if he is not there. Curtis Rines

December 2023 – Cowan has had an outstanding first few months in his D+1 season. The London Knights forward is set to surpass his points total by nearly double as he already has 12 goals and 39 points in 23 OHL contests. Cowan and Flyers prospect Denver Barkey have formed one of the most formidable penalty killing duo’s in recent memory as they are a threat for a short-handed goal every time they step on the ice. On top of his blistering start with London, Cowan has also made Team Canada for the 2024 World Juniors. His relentless work ethic, ability to play with anyone, and his overall versality makes him a dangerous player for Canada’s coaching staff. It has been awhile since Toronto fans have been able to see not only one, but two prospects wear the (Canadian) Maple Leaf for this tournament, so there is a lot to be excited about over the next couple of weeks. Curtis Rines

June 2023 – Cowan has been selected 28th overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2023 NHL Draft. Curtis Rines

June 2023 – Cowan makes for a fairly straightforward NHL projection if he can refine his stride mechanics and on-puck scanning habits, and adds a minimal amount of variety into his rush patterns as a carrier. He will add weight and play an inside-driven and violent game while putting up an impressive amount of primary assists/60 at even strength with the right linemates as finishers, but they would need to bring the dynamism to the line as well. He could make for an excellent complimentary piece in a top-6 with elite linemates, not unlike the Bunting role in Toronto, but replacing the goalscoring for playmaking. More likely, however, is an energy role in a bottom-six with added value as a depth playmaker who can plug a hole in the top-six in a pinch. Sebastian High