Easton Cowan's comments just solidified that not only is he someone the Maple Leafs shouldn't trade, but someone who deserves to be in Toronto his entire career.
Prior to stepping on the ice on Monday night, Easton Cowan was having a fantastic start to his second NHL season. He had 12 points in 13 games, was a key part of the penalty kill, and was thrust into a top-line role and has thrived - earning the praise of his captain.
While he didn't get a win against Calgary, Cowan put in a performance that earned him a ton of respect (and some negativity as well). He was a firecracker all night, wasn't putting up with any dirty business and even got himself into a scrap.
Easton Cowan just gave the soundbite everyone was waiting for
But it was what he said before the game that should not only give the Maple Leafs every reason to not trade him under any circumstances, but they need to keep him around for the rest of his career.
Cowan showed his passion as he proclaimed that right now, he's enjoying the ride and is proud to wear the crest and represent the Maple Leafs, their fans, and the city of Toronto:
I love being a Leaf. Love playing for Toronto. Love the fan base, love this team. Just another opportunity here tonight to play the game I love.
Those are some pretty passionate and strong words from a 21-year-old who just really found his footing this season after a bit of an up and down start to his career last year.
You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who is as dedicated to the cause as Cowan right now, as he has no qualms about putting his body on the line or his ego aside for the betterment of the team.
Cowan's post-game comments show he deserves a lifetime contract
For example, take what he said after Toronto's loss last night. He didn't point the finger at anyone but himself, and showed immense maturity and accountability even if his teammates didn't think he deserved the criticism:
Dumb penalty by me. Those 2 goals are on me. I cost us the game, and I gotta be better. Selfish of me to take that dumb penalty. Can't have that. Gotta be better and control my emotions better.
Auston Matthews stood up for his line-mate and mentioned that while mistakes happen, there are 20 other guys who need to pick him up:
We win as a team and lose as a team. It's not on one individual guy. I took 2 penalties with less than 10 minutes to go when we're trying to tie up the game...it's definitely not on one guy.
Cowan's comments sound like they're coming from a 10-year vet as opposed to a player who is 80 games into his NHL career, and Toronto needs to reward his dedication, performance, and passion.
They can offer him a max extension in line with some of the other deals signed around the league and I don't think anyone would flinch at a seven-year, $75M+ deal especially considering his growth.
He genuinely turned into a key piece of the lineup in his second season and could potentially turn into a superstar who leads the Maple Leafs for years to come - maybe with a 'C' attached to it.
That deserves rewarding, and making sure that no one tries to get anywhere near Toronto's homegrown cowboy.
Should the Maple Leafs extend Easton Cowan to a maximum-length contract?
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