According to The Hockey News, the Maple Leafs rank No. 23 in under-22 talent in the NHL. Some scouting publications have them even lower. That鈥檚 to be expected when your organization has had only three selections in two of the past three drafts.
With no second-round pick in 2024 and no selections until the third round in 2025, there鈥檚 a good chance things will get worse before they get better. And that鈥檚 before the March 8 trade deadline when, according to speculation, the Leafs鈥 first-round pick could be very much in play.
One of the bright lights in that otherwise mediocre forecast is Easton Cowan, the most dominant player on one of the most dominating teams in junior hockey. Riding a 26-game point streak for the London Knights heading into Wednesday’s game against Oshawa, the 28th pick in the 2023 draft has been piling up points at a prodigious pace, leading the Knights to the best record in the Ontario Hockey League and third-best in the Canadian Hockey League. The last time Cowan was held scoreless was Nov. 24. In the 26 games since then, he鈥檚 scored 20 goals and 49 points. His 1.75 points per game lead the OHL and put him third in the CHL.
But it鈥檚 not just about the points for Cowan, a player who has outperformed his draft position. He is a force in all areas of the ice and all situations, as evidenced by six goals and 12 points with his team short-handed, most in the CHL.
鈥淚 feel like I鈥檓 a very versatile player,鈥 Cowan said. 鈥淪o that helps me out a lot.鈥
The Leafs, of course, are suitably impressed. Even though 2022 second-round pick Fraser Minten made the team out of camp and played four games with the Leafs to start the season, Cowan has usurped him as the team鈥檚 top prospect. Cowan鈥檚 competitive level is off the charts, which is one of the reasons why he鈥檚 been so good in all areas.
鈥淗e鈥檚 got an intangible about him that you don鈥檛 see in every player, which is his drive,鈥 said Hayley Wickenheiser, the Leafs assistant general manager in charge of player development. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a hounder of the puck and he鈥檚 a really electric player. He鈥檚 really dominating this season.鈥
Which once again brings us to March 8. The opinion is universal that the Leafs, winners of seven straight going into Tuesday night against the Vegas Golden Knights, require a rather dramatic blueline upgrade if they hope to seriously compete for a Stanley Cup. They don鈥檛 have a second-round pick in 2024, which puts their first-rounder in play, as well as perhaps their prospects. If the Leafs are looking to make a major move, say acquiring defenceman Noah Hanifin from the Calgary Flames with a contract extension in place, it鈥檚 not folly to think the Flames would try to get a player of Cowan鈥檚 ilk in return.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think about that at all,鈥 Cowan said. 鈥淚 just do my own thing. I鈥檓 just focused on the Knights right now. Obviously the Leafs are my future goal, but I鈥檓 a Knight right now. Our team is really tight and we鈥檙e on a pretty good run here. I鈥檓 just enjoying my OHL career and trying to win a championship here.鈥
And as is often the case in London, that is a real possibility. Cowan鈥檚 draft stock skyrocketed last season when he scored nine goals and 21 points in 20 post-season games for the Knights, who were defeated in the OHL final by the Peterborough Petes. Cowan is primed for another long post-season run, which he is hoping culminates in an appearance at the Memorial Cup in Saginaw, Mich. in late May, four days after his 19th birthday.
Because he can鈥檛 play in the American Hockey League next season, Cowan will almost certainly be back in the OHL in 2024-25, where there鈥檚 a good chance he鈥檒l captain the Knights and be a pivotal offensive player for Canada鈥檚 world junior team.
When Cowan鈥檚 name comes up, there are comparisons made to former Leaf Doug Gilmour, who holds the OHL record for consecutive games with a point: 55 with the Cornwall Royals in 1982-83, en route to the single-season points record of 177.
Even though Cowan plays with a good level of feistiness, Gilmour played with more of an edge. But both are undersized centres who share a hyper-competitive nature. Mitch Marner is a winger, but some have compared Cowan to the current Leaf, a player he idolized growing up.
鈥淚鈥檓 just an 18-year-old kid,鈥 Cowan said. 鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 say I鈥檓 anywhere close to those guys. It鈥檚 nice to hear some people compare me to them, but at the end of the day I鈥檓 nowhere close to them and I鈥檝e got a long way to go.鈥
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