The Toronto Maple Leafs’ season ended only a handful of days ago, but such is life with Leafs Nation that fans are already setting their sights on next year. And one of the more fascinating Maple Leafs [http://thn.com/toronto] prospects is current London Knights left winger Easton Cowan. The 20-year-old is going to get a bona-fide solid shot to earn an NHL job next season – and for reasons we’ll explore below, Cowan will have pressure on him to produce right out of the gate. The Leafs are now expected to part ways with superstar right winger Mitch Marner, and while we’re going to be clear here that we’re not in any way suggesting Cowan will be as big a star as Marner has been, there are some parallels between Marner and Cowan. Is it the end of the 'Cour Four' era in Toronto? For one thing, Marner and Cowan are about the same size physically, with both players right around six feet tall. And like Cowan, Marner also was a terrific player for the London Knights [https://thehockeynews.com/ohl] in his junior hockey career, producing 44 goals and 126 points in 2014-15. Now, Cowan’s regular-season totals on offense took a dip this year, but he still generated 40 assists and 69 points in just 46 games – and Cowan had his best post-season performance yet, with 26 assists and 39 points in 17 playoff games, helping the Knights win the OHL championship [https://thehockeynews.com/ohl/latest-news/the-london-knights-hang-on-to-win-ohl-championship]. Those numbers don’t automatically translate into surefire NHL success, but by raising his game, Cowan is raising expectations among Leafs fans for next season. The same way the Maple Leafs have benefited from youngster Matthew Knies thriving in the early stages of his NHL career, Toronto is going to be hoping to get a terrific rookie showing from Cowan. Not only will he potentially produce offense to help replace Marner if and when he leaves the Leafs as a UFA this summer, but Cowan will provide some much-needed financial help as the Buds balance out their lineup between high-priced veterans and bargain-basement performers. That said, nothing is going to be handed to Cowan next year. This isn’t to say he’s going to be a healthy scratch a la Nick Robertson (another player the Leafs may move on from next year), but Cowan may have to start his pro career the same way most NHLers do – at the American League level. Playing for the AHL’s Toronto Marlies may be a blow to Cowan’s ego, but rather than playing him third or fourth-line minutes with the Leafs, it could be best for his development to start out with the Marlies and wait for a better opportunity with the Leafs down the line. When you’ve got the draft pedigree that Cowan has – as someone drafted 28th overall in 2023 – you’re going to have to live up to it by adapting to the NHL game, or you’ll quickly be discarded for the next prospect du jour. So yes, there will absolutely be pressure on Cowan as soon as NHL training camp begins next fall. But with the ripple effect of Marner’s projected departure on the Leafs’ depth chart of forwards, Cowan might just be able to step in right away and earn an NHL job. Nick Suzuki and Easton Cowan (David Kirouac-Imagn Images) [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/35b28057-68a8-4be8-8168-06c8108bb52e.jpeg] Nick Suzuki and Easton Cowan (David Kirouac-Imagn Images) Cowan has spoken out recently [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/never-take-anything-for-granted-maple-leafs-prospect-easton-cowan-reflects-on-marner-s-mentorship-another-shot-at-memorial-cup] about having Marner as a mentor of sorts, but that professional relationship may be severed if Marner does move on. However, Leafs fans have had Cowan on their radar for a couple of years now, and if he can develop into an upper-tier NHLer the way Knies and Marner have, Toronto fans and management are going to be elated to have Cowan in Blue and White. Before too long, the world could well be Cowan’s oyster. And we’ll learn soon enough if he’s ready and able to seize the moment and carve out a space in Leaf Land for a very long time to come. Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen] and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.
