In a season riddled with individual and team struggles, the Toronto Maple Leafs have started to see some growth out of their top prospect in Easton Cowan. The 28th pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, Cowan has continually believed in himself pushing the Maple Leafs’ brass to finally make the decision to have him in the lineup for the 2025-26 season.
Early on, he’s played in 27 of the team’s 38 games this season and has four goals and 11 points to show for it. More than that, however, the 20-year-old has been one of the more consistent players overall for the Maple Leafs regardless of where he is in the lineup and how many minutes he sees on any given night.
That said, as of late, he’s been on the outside looking in. He’s been a healthy scratch for the team’s last three games, a set in which the team has secured five of a possible six points and seemingly given Craig Berube a reason to keep the young forward out of the lineup.
But, in doing so, the question around his overall development has been raised by insiders and the fanbase as Cowan continues to sit and not see game action.
Cowan Was Praised Out of Camp
During his third camp with the team, Cowan received a lot praise from Berube, who noted his skill and drive. He said he’s seen the growth in the former first-round pick and that he had a good chance of playing in the NHL in 2025-26.
“We all know he’s a good player,” said Berube back in September. “I mean, he’s had a real good junior career and, for me, out there he’s just a worker. He’s a dog on a bone all the time and with some hands. He’s got tenacity and grit, grinds it, you know, and finds a way to get it done. That’s how I view him.”
While Cowan wasn’t in the team’s opening night roster, he quickly made his way into the lineup and his work ethic was clear early – getting under the skin of the opposition and winning some 50-50 battles. His speed opened up the game and his hands created opportunity for himself and his linemates.
Still, he’s found himself in and out of the lineup at times this season. But why?
Cowan’s A Victim of Leafs Logjam
The easy answer is that the Maple Leafs have too many middle-six forward options. Guys like Calle Jarnkrok, Nicholas Robertson, Bobby McMann, Matias Maccelli and some others on the roster are all fighting for a handful of spots on a night-to-night basis.
Related: What Maple Leafs Fans Are Getting Wrong About Auston Matthews
Whether the team is trying to showcase trade chips or making some choices on a seniority-type basis, Cowan continues to be a scratch – now having missed 11 games so far this season. Still, he’s been one of the more consistent players on the team.
Now, having played McMann and Robertson on consistent basis, both are paying dividends to Berube and the team on an offensive basis. McMann is fourth on the team in goals with 11 and Robertson has eight. Both are on pace for career-highs and deservingly so.
As for the remaining players fighting for a spot in the lineup each night, Maccelli, Dakota Joshua, Jarnkrok and Cowan seem to be the ones battling for the remaining spots. Of those players, Joshua and Cowan have been the most consistent this season. Still, Cowan sits.
So what does that do for the development of arguably your top prospect?
Cowan’s Development Suffering With Each Scratch
Outside of the logjam, there’s no real clear explanation as to why Cowan is sitting. The age old reasoning of seeing things from the press box can help a player see the game differently or that he’s a young player learning don’t necessarily fit this situation.
The Maple Leafs are a team struggling to get wins and he – to the point – is one of the team’s top 12 forwards this season. That, along with the continued need for game situations to further his development, should be reason enough to have Cowan in the lineup until he gives you a reason to take him out.
Even Berube has identified his development as a reason to get him back in the lineup, so what gives?
If it’s the ‘be patient’ approach or the ‘we’re winning games’ reasoning, that’s simply not good enough. Especially when you’re a team that has botched the development or some prospects in the past. You’ve got an opportunity to build another strong, young core alongside Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies, but that includes Cowan. But he has to be on the ice to help make a difference. Getting him involved in the winning will only benefit his overall development that much more.
