Toronto Maple Leafs under pressure with decision regarding Easton Cowan's future

Showing off slick hands, he started the game off for the Maple Leafs with a breakaway opportunity (that should have been a penalty shot personally) which led to a tripping call on Montreal. Toronto capitalized on the powerplay due in big part to Cowan's blistering speed and ability to intimidate defenders into making bad decisions.

Following that he decided to get in on the goal scoring fun, wiring a fantastic wrister off a feed from Minten that completely perplexed netminder Matteo Drobac. Then in the shootout, he decided to play the slow game and fooled the Montreal goalie.

It was another powerplay goal from the Maple Leafs, and yet another part of the Minten/Cowan pairing that shows just how deadly these two can be on the ice. However, Minten's path to the Maple Leafs is a bit easier than Cowan's and Toronto needs to make a tough decision regarding their highly touted prospect given what they expect of him.

Due to regulations based in the NHL and CHL agreement, Cowan would be unable to be sent to the Toronto Marlies this season if Toronto is unwilling to take a chance on the rookie just yet. Since Cowan is under the age of 20, he would be ineligible to be sent to the AHL, and since he also hasn't played in four junior seasons, he still doesn't qualify. The only way he could be eligible is to sit as a healthy scratch for five games to start the year; something both detrimental to Cowan's development and the Maple Leafs roster as a whole.

With Fraser Minten's ability to be sent down, the Maple Leafs need to make a choice on Cowan. If Ryan Reaves, Pontus Holmberg, or Calle Jarnkrok don't live up to expectations, Cowan could immediately improve on those players by stepping in. If they truly want to see how Cowan can adjust and fit into the league, it's best to offer him a shot. He could easily slot in beside Max Domi and try to find some chemistry there; and his propensity to backcheck and play a full 200 foot game should entice the Maple Leafs to give him a look.

The skill gap between junior hockey and the NHL is such a large gap, it's hard for players to find their groove immediately and it can be a cause for concern for many teams. The way Easton Cowan has played so far, his track record, and the Maple Leafs need to inject some bottom line scoring and youth into their lineup...it's going to be hard for the Maple Leafs to say no.