Easton Cowan Drawing Bold NHL Comparisons After Dominant Development Surge
Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan earned some high praise in regards to his NHL comparable according to the analysts on the Steve Dangle Podcast.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have a lot to be excited about when it comes to a few of their prospects. Both Ben Danford and Victor Johansson are expected to be future impact players, and some of the NCAA signings they made could surprise some folks.
However, the big fish in the pond is clearly Easton Cowan. The London Knights product had quite the junior career that was capped off with a Memorial Cup and yet another fantastic overall season.
How Easton Cowan's Game Mirrors NHL Stars
He's expected to make a push to nab a spot on the team come October and very well could find himself in that nine-game debut window to see how he does. There's a lot of potential around him and it's only a matter of time before he explodes.
For the Steve Dangle Podcast, they certainly can't wait for Cowan, and when they were discussing his future, they had a few NHL comparables to throw out and they are some pretty heavy hitters:
We don't really know yet but the one comparable I heard from someone who watches a lot of London Knights hockey and knows their stuff, they're like 'If he can become Travis Konecny-lite'.
That's what I think it will be however, that's really good. That's really f****** good. But the idea that he is going to come in and be Mitch Marner, I think that's the idea in some people's heads for some reason. - Adam Wylde
That's what I think it will be however, that's really good. That's really f****** good. But the idea that he is going to come in and be Mitch Marner, I think that's the idea in some people's heads for some reason. - Adam Wylde
Dangle himself chimed in and said the comparison to Marner is hard to make based off his numbers in London:
These aren't apples to apples, I don't think he has the same offensive gifts as Marner.
Wylde wanted to be proven wrong though:
If he ends up being better than a Konecny, dunk on me. Please! I want that! I want him to be that good.
Cowan's game is very similar to Konecny in the sense that they are both not the biggest guys who have intense competitive natures, great offensive tools and as Wylde put it: "Are a bit of bastards."
In that sense, it means that Cowan isn't going to shy away from anyone getting in his face, he'll take a cheap shot if needed, and will play hard in every aspect. There's a tenacious fire behind that boyish smile and if he gets pushed too hard, he will push back.
Why It Matters for the Maple Leafs' Future
Well, if they aren't getting Mitch Marner, maybe...just maybe...they are getting their own version of Brad Marchand.
Look, it sounds crazy but if Cowan is as tenacious, mean, and aggressive as Dangle and the boys believe, then there's a very good chance they have their scrappy, pesky scoring winger who can be a game changer in the playoffs.
I mean, he also scored 220 points in 175 games, so it's not like he can't break out and be as good as Marchand. Maybe he won't hit 20+ goals in his debut season, but double digits are feasible with enough playing time.
Mitch Marner is a top 15 player in the league arguably; and there is a real good chance he ends up hitting 110+ points at some point. But he seemed to lack a real fire and wouldn't really be mean; he'd pout sure, but he never went eye for an eye.
Cowan will, and just because he can dazzle you with his hands doesn't mean he won't throw them if necessary.
So if Toronto was worried that they lost out on an aging Brad Marchand, then fans just need to be a bit patient because they may have found one of their own.
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