Craig Berube's Latest Comments Make It Sound Like Easton Cowan's Big Moment Is Coming
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Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube certainly has faith that Easton Cowan can help out the team, and it sounds like it won't be long until he makes his debut.
Easton Cowan's ascent to the Maple Leafs has been nothing short of impressive. Though the offensive numbers haven't been as dominating as his junior numbers, he's played well enough to earn his spot on the Toronto roster going into 2025-26.
The fan buzz is unreal, and as each day passes more and more fans are wondering when he'll finally take the ice.
There's a lot of excitement around his eventual debut, though questions around when that is are certainly beginning to raise some eyebrows. If he's not playing here, or in the AHL; what's he doing?
Right now, the lineup doesn't have Cowan penciled in for Saturday's game against Detroit but recent comments from Berube make it sound like he's willing to give him a shot:
That's a decision we have to discuss & make. We'll see what happens tomorrow.
So with this recent understanding of where Berube stands, could Cowan make his debut soon?
Craig Berube Clearly Believes in Cowan's Work Ethic
Couple those comments with Berube's previous comments about whether or not Cowan was ready for the NHL grind, and you'll get a clear idea of the faith the coach has in his rookie:
I think he is. We got decisions to make, but I think he showed us enough that he is ready. I mean, he's got a motor on him ... Like, he's just constant work and he's got a high IQ. I like him a lot.
That sounds like a coach who is ready to put his prized rookie in the lineup, but is waiting for the perfect chance to do so.
For what it's worth, Cowan is staying positive and has an entire army awaiting his highly anticipated debut:
Then why not start him against a team he's somewhat familiar with?
Cowan played twice against Detroit in the preseason and while that certainly wasn't their full team, it did expose him to Todd McClellan's game plan which could prove key for a solid debut.
That decision has a lot of underlying implications too, as fans are excited about wanting to see Cowan and the constant 'will he play or not' atmosphere is frustrating to say the least.
Brad Treliving stated that if Cowan wasn't playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs he wanted to see him in the Toronto Marlies lineup instead, which makes sense; Cowan has to play somewhere.
So why not rip the band-aid off early and see what Cowan can bring to the table. You have several other pieces who can slot in if he doesn't work out, but as we've seen before; it will work out just fine.
it won't be long before we see Easton Cowan debut for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and once he takes the ice; it may be a really tough task to take him out.
