Poise Beyond His Years: How Easton Cowan Earned Auston Matthews’ Trust

EDMONTON — Easton Cowan continued his upward NHL trajectory on Saturday. Playing on the first line on the left side of Auston Matthews and Jack Roslovic against the Edmonton Oilers, the 21-year-old logged 15:20 and assisted on Matthews’ ninth goal of the season, a second-period wrist shot that made it 2-0.

But the numbers alone don’t capture what the captain and his coach saw. Matthews saw a left-winger who was up for the assignment of going up against the likes of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, handling it with poise.

“He’s impressive. You just see his evolution over the last couple of years, and he’s gotten bigger, stronger, faster. His IQ’s been there. His skill’s been there. But he just continues to take steps,” Matthews said of Cowan after Toronto’s decisive 7-2 win over the Oilers at Rogers Place. “He’s super, super easy guy to play with, very smart, and can make plays all over the ice, but he’s also defensively very responsible, and you can kind of see the maturity that’s grown in his game too.”

Cowan’s pass to Matthews was pretty slick and it’s clear the one they call ‘Cowboy’ is playing with a lot of confidence right now.

Head coach Jim Hiller was asked whether he expected the line to click this quickly after moving Cowan up. 

“You never really want to put a ceiling on something,” Hiller said. “You’re hoping it goes well, and I think we’re seeing what well looks like. He’s a talented player. We knew that, but he’s been pretty consistent. He’s making plays, and for the most part, he’s cleaned up a lot of the turnovers.”

Jack Roslovic, who skated on the other side, reinforced the point. 

“He’s really unbelievable. Hard on pucks, good vision, good defensively. He’s a star.”

The underlying numbers back the eye test. Cowan entered the night with five goals and six assists in 12 games while averaging just over 15 minutes. On Saturday he finished plus-2 with one shot. At five-on-five the Leafs generated quality looks while limiting Edmonton’s most dangerous rush sequences when the line was intact. 

Cowan’s physical and mental growth has allowed Matthews to play a more complete 200-foot game without sacrificing the offensive zone time that still defines the captain. Against a team that entered the night with the NHL’s highest goals-per-game rate, that balance mattered. The Leafs left Rogers Place with a 7-2 win and a four-game winning streak. 

While it probably began as just a shuffle to find the right fit to play with Matthews on the left side, it’s clear Cowan’s presence there is no longer an experiment. The sophomore forward has earned the spot.

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