Easton Cowan Is a Gem the Maple Leafs Need to Hold Onto

Cowan's record breaking point-streak is proving doubters wrong

When the Toronto Maple Leafs drafted Easton Cowan in the first round (28th pick) of the 2023 NHL Draft, it was a head-scratcher to many Leafs fans as Cowan wasn’t even a top 50 prospect before the draft. Players like Andrew Cirstall, Cavin Brindley, and many more were anticipated to be selected by the club in the first round or way before Cowan was expected to be chosen, which was closer to the lower second round.

Now, he is proving Leafs Nation's thoughts wrong. He broke the London Knights franchise record for the longest point streak, 34 games, and made the Team Canada roster for the 2024 World Junior Hockey Championship.

Let’s examine why Easton Cowan was selected over every other candidate on everyone else’s list.

What Went Right for Cowan?

To understand how good Cowan has been this season in the OHL, we need to take a timeline back to his first full season with the Knights. Cowan’s first entire season with the Knights in 2022-23 was promising, scoring 53 points in 68 regular season games and 21 points in 20 playoff games. He earned a spot on the OHL Second All-Rookie Team that same season. Then, in September, he played in the 2023 Traverse City Prospect tournament for the Leafs prospect team, where he turned a lot of heads, scoring six points in three games with two goals and four assists, the highest out of every Leafs prospect in that tournament.

From there, he earned a spot on the Leafs' training camp roster, which was a step in the right direction and a chance to improve his game without immediately being called to the main roster.