Maple Leafs Prospect Report: Cowan, Akhtyamov & Holinka

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One player’s misfortune tends to lead to another’s opportunities. That certainly been the case when it comes to the Toronto Maple Leafs’ Fraser Minten — getting the call up to the big club and running with it. So far, in six games, he has two goals and four points and he’s getting an extended look with some of the team’s top players.

Beyond him, this week we’re going to take a dive into the Maple Leafs’ prospect pool and take a closer look at Easton Cowan’s continued pace in the OHL with the London Knights and the Maple Leafs’ development of Artur Akhtyamov with the Toronto Marlies in the AHL.

With that, here’s a look at some of the Maple Leafs’ top prospects in the latest report.

Easton Cowan, Knights Continue Torrid Pace

Having missed a couple games over the past couple of weeks, Cowan returned to the lineup for the London Knights on Dec. 4 against the Owen Sound Attack and continued his unofficial record-setting point streak.

The streak, which started during last season’s OHL regular season, has continued into this season and reached 56 straight games on Friday night against the Oshawa Generals where he eventually left the game due to injury and the Knights would go on to lose.

However, the mark unofficially tops another former Maple Leafs player, as Doug Gilmour’s single season OHL record was 55 straight games with a point back in 1982-83 with the Cornwall Royals.

Cowan’s efforts, along with his fellow Knights, have their team sitting first in the Midwest Division with a 23-5-0 record through 28 games this season — the best record in the OHL.

Related: Mitch Marner’s Versatility Shines Amid Maple Leafs’ Struggles

With this kid of play, it won’t be long before he’s donning the blue and white for the Maple Leafs at the NHL level as part of this team’s core moving forward.

Akhtyamov Brings His Numbers to North America

Another prospect who has been off to a hot start this season with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies is goaltender Akhtyamov. Having had incredible numbers in Russia in both the VHL and KHL over the past couple of seasons, Akhtyamov seems to be a goalie of the future for this club and is making his mark with the Marlies this season.

Artur Akhtyamov Ak Bars Kazan
Artur Akhtyamov, Ak Bars Kazan (Photo credit: Ak Bars Kazan

Through eight games played in a platoon role, Akhtyamov has a 7-0-1 record and is undefeated in regulation this season. He has a 1.70 goals against average (GAA) and .933 save percentage (SV%) with two shutouts for the club.

The Marlies currently sit third in the North Division with four games in hand on the Cleveland Monsters. They’ve allowed the fewest goals in the league while Akhytamov sits atop the league in GAA and fourth in SV% as a rookie.

Considering their development with goalies in the past, getting him to the NHL with this kind of play would be a major win for the franchise down the road.

Miroslav Holinka Possible Piece for Czechia at WJC

As for the Maple Leafs’ fifth-round pick in 2024, Miroslav Holinka is expected to play a role on Czechia’s World Junior Championship team when the tournament gets underway. Holinka, who is currently with the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings, has 10 goals and 21 points through 23 games so far this season.

He is fifth on the Oil Kings in points and third in goals. As Czechia named their preliminary roster, Holinka seems to figure into their plans for the tournament, but it’s something to keep an eye on.

One thing’s for sure, if he cracks the lineup, it’ll be a good chance for him to make some noise on the international stage with a Czechia team that could surprise some in this year’s edition of the WJC. As for the Maple Leafs, Holinka remains unsigned at the moment as they continue to watch his developmental progress over the next little while.

Until next time, be sure to let us know which prospects you’d like to hear more about in the next edition of the Maple Leafs prospect report.

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