OHL MVP Easton Cowan Leads London Knights to Memorial Cup, Can he Crack the Maple Leafs' Roster This Season?
Easton Cowan will head to Toronto Maple Leafs training camp this fall with a whole lot of hype and very little left to prove in Junior.
The London Knights forward had a goal and three assists to help his team sweep the Oshawa Generals with a 7-1 victory in Game 4 of the OHL Championship Series on Wednesday.
When it was all said and done, Toronto's first pick (28th overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft finished the postseason with a league-leading 34 points (10 goals, 24 assists). He picked up the 'Wayne Gretzky 99' trophy, awarded to the OHL playoffs MVP. Cowan became the first Maple Leaf prospect since Mitch Marner to win OHL regular season and playoff MVP in the same season
Next up for the forward is the Memorial Cup, where Cowan's Knights will represent as the OHL champions. But certainly, Cowan is making a strong case to push for a spot out of training camp with the Leafs.
Cowan was cut on the last day of camp in his first go-around at Leafs camp. It was seen as a testament to how well the player performed. The one they call 'Cowboy' would carry a $935,833 salary cap hit on Toronto's books if he makes the team.
After what he's accomplished this season, sending him back to London would leave him with little to prove. Because he'd be 19, he wouldn't be eligible to play for the Toronto Marlies if he doesn't make the Leafs' roster out of camp.
Certainly, being a key cog in helping his team win the Memorial Cup would further cement his case.
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