Insider Sends Clear Message to Easton Cowan Ahead of Leafs Training Camp
Photo credit: Natalie Shaver - OHL Images
Former NHL GM and analyst Pierre McGuire spoke on Leafs Morning Take about what Easton Cowan needs to do in order to secure a roster spot with the Maple Leafs.
As training camp looms in the distance, there are several questions regarding which young faces are going to be a potential part of the team, but no one has more focus on him than Easton Cowan.
Toronto's top prospect had a heck of a junior career, capped off with a Memorial Cup this season. He's done all he can with London and the next stop is the Marlies, or potentially the Maple Leafs themselves.
Cowan's roster spot is his to lose
It's not going to be an easy task however, though he certainly seems up to the task.
However, he does have a chance to impress head coach Craig Berube and while he may have some NHL-ready teammates who will get a look ahead of him; the future is bright.
Former GM turned analyst Pierre McGuire believes that Cowan has a ton of potential, and explained what he needed to do in order to secure a roster spot.
Speaking as a guest on the Leafs Morning Take podcast, McGuire spoke about Cowan's path to making the team, and it's pretty straightforward:
I think the plan is to come in and earn a job and if you can it's going to be great. There's sometimes where whether it's a coach or a management person, where you're hoping a guy can kinda come in and snatch a job.
They make things cap friendly because they're entry-level. It excited your fanbase and it excited your locker room too when you got a young guy coming in who can really produce offensively.
I think it would be really important for him to come in and earn a job. He's coming in with major street cred after winning a Memorial Cup in London, he's represented Canada before in the World Juniors.
He's been a really good player for a long time, and a marquee player for a marquee franchise.
They make things cap friendly because they're entry-level. It excited your fanbase and it excited your locker room too when you got a young guy coming in who can really produce offensively.
I think it would be really important for him to come in and earn a job. He's coming in with major street cred after winning a Memorial Cup in London, he's represented Canada before in the World Juniors.
He's been a really good player for a long time, and a marquee player for a marquee franchise.
Cowan certainly has been a great player no doubt, and besides his personal accomplishments and accolades, he also seems as motivated as ever to take over.
Easton Cowan's career should lead to bright NHL future
If you were to bet on Cowan to make the team, if you're going based of what's he done so far, it should seem like a surefire win.
Two OHL Championships, a Red Tilson MVP, Wayne Gretzky MVP (Playoffs), a Memorial Cup, and ranks 35th all-time on London's scoring leaders list, ahead of names like Evan Bouchard, Nazem Kadri, and Rick Nash.
Cowan, 19, has 220 points in 175 games with the Knights (84 goals, 136 assists) and is no doubt going to be looked at as the next Mitch Marner (or close to it).
He's certainly got the skills and he's motivated to skip the AHL and get right to it, and with the Maple Leafs needing a replacement for Calle Jarnkrok and David Kampf on the roster; if they wanna save money then Cowan is in.
Though it's not a guarantee and Toronto may want to see how he manages against bigger competition in the AHL first, but they have been known to take chances on rookies.
Whether he makes it out of camp or not, the future is bright for Easton Cowan and it won't be long before he'll be a household name for years to come.
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 17 | 1620 ANSWERS Insider Sends Clear Message to Easton Cowan Ahead of Leafs Training Camp Do you think Easton Cowan can make the Maple Leafs out of training camp? | ||
| Yes | 1185 | 73.1 % |
| No | 435 | 26.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
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