Easton Cowan praised Gavin McKenna and made it clear he wants him on the Maple Leafs
Photo credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images (L), Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images (R)
Easton Cowan and Gavin McKenna spent the end of last season battling for CHL glory, both could soon find themselves as teammates.
The Toronto Maple Leafs obtained the first overall pick, and with it are projected to take consensus top prospect Gavin McKenna.
Cowan, who played with McKenna at the World Juniors, showered praise for the 18-year-old and his game, saying that Toronto would be "super lucky" to have him.
But it's a previous matchup on the ice on two different sides of the rink that will make the prospect of McKenna and Cowan on the same team an exciting one.
Gavin McKenna and Easton Cowan battled one another for the CHL's top prize as their top two players
In 2025, Gavin McKenna's Medicine Hat Tigers took on Easton Cowan's London Knights in the 2025 Memorial Cup finals following a tense battle that saw both players dominate the competition.
McKenna, named CHL player of the year, had a whopping 38 points in just 16 WHL playoff games for Medicine Hat, while Cowan had an equally eye popping 39 points in 17 games for London.
Having pushed each other throughout the Memorial Cup, the two would be hoped to channel that same energy together in the Leafs lineup.
Cowan and McKenna were their teams leading scorer, ultimately Cowan coming up on top as the London Knights took home the win over Medicine Hat.
Two of the most dominant CHL playoff performers in years, Easton Cowan and Gavin McKenna could be the boost for the Leafs they so greatly need.
The Leafs need to get back in the playoffs and have two prospects that can get them there
Easton Cowan didn't make the NHL playoffs in his first season in the league, and as a proven postseason performer, adding Gavin McKenna could unlock both their dominance at the biggest stage.
Neither player dominated as well as they did by fluke, and both McKenna and Cowan could be long-term help for Toronto ultimately hoist the Stanley Cup.
The Leafs will need to add more if the goal is for next season to be their shot at a title, but McKenna being a rookie shouldn't count him out of being a real contributor for a Toronto playoff run.
Gavin McKenna doesn't change the Leafs plans to be a playoff team. With his pedigree for postseason success, he's very much someone who can be key to winning it all right away.
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