Prospect Info: 2023 1st Rd Selection - #28 OA (via BOS, WSH) - C, Easton Cowan [London Knights, OHL; [Height 5.11 -- Weight 185]

[LeafGrief]

I found this link on the correlation between foot size and teens' height: Normal Height & Weight for Boys | Livestrong.com. You can "estimate a teen's height in inches by doubling his shoe size and adding 50". So 12.5*x +50 = 75. That would be 6'3"! He probably won't grow to that height but packing muscles in a 6 feet body frame with his tenacious style should make him a good fit with our fancy stars.

In short, both his body and his play have been in an upward trajectory. And usually it is better to pick someone on the upward swing than someone plateauing.

The hope that these guys are going to grow always makes me laugh. It's weird how they seem to be younger every year, I know, but 18 year old's are generally done growing upwards outside of extreme cases.

And that shoe size thing is going to be like a 20% correlation at best. He'll put on plenty of weight as he matures into his adult body, and every NHL player grows an inch when they get put on NHL.com, but that's all that's likely.

 

[4thline]

Full disclosure, w/ a 2 year old at home my priorities have shifted, barely have time to follow the Leafs and their pool like I used to, did essentially no draft eligible tracking this year.

I heard the name one time before last night- at a party. People plugged into the Perth/Middlesex/London area hockey scene absolutely love the kid.


Other than that everything I know researching since the pick, and I have to say, sometimes it's nice to not be as armchair gm'y. I had no hopes and expectations going in. No names I loved, no one to be disappointed that we didn't draft. It's awesome, because this seems like a really easy pick to get behind and root for, and it seems like the "more of the same complaints" are very superficial.

Easy to root for the small town farm boy.
Easy to root for fierce competitor described as an absolute puckhound with good defensive awareness and skating
Easy to root for the explosive upward development track
Easy to root for likely physical growth

Edit- I get Evangelista vibes/ have Evangelista hopes for the pick. Not stylistically, but in terms of the Knight parallels of a riser/reach, slightly undersized (but likely to play at average size), D-2 outside of the O, coaches dream, big post draft boom (hopefully). If the 2020 season wasn't called early does a strong playoff see a team reach harder on Evangelista? We'll never know. But early signs are that teams would have been better off doing so

 

[Future]

Not sure why people keep bringing up Sandin as if he isn’t a 5’11” defenseman that skates like Luke Schenn.

 

[Tufted Titmouse]

I watched him a fair amount this year, especially in the playoffs. He reminds of Brayden Point at the same age.

High motor undersized C, does everything fast, good forechecker. Don't think he has the Point upside offensively, but even just a similar type player would be beloved here.

I love picking C's that can skate.

Would have loved him in the 2nd round, but hey, gotta trust your scouts.

 

[Ianturnedbull]

I'm glad TOR got a skilled Center who's smart/competitive.

He's going to be one of our top prospects very soon.

What's not to like?

 

[Hellcat]

When they called him greasy on the telecast last night I couldn't but help think of Bubbles ..... grreeeesssseeeeyyyyy

 

[TML Dynasty]

There was a lot of discussion at the Leafs table so I’m guessing they tried to trade down but didn’t want to go too far and miss this guy. The trade wasn’t there obviously.

Sandin trade sucked but it seemed they were forced into it. Sitting him this playoffs would’ve pissed him off until he demanded a trade I’m guessing. And I don’t think he was ready for this playoffs. Would’ve loved him going forward tho.

Cowan by all accounts will definitely be an NHL player. Can’t say that about all late 1st round picks. And he’s only getting better.

Everyone chill lol

 

[KMNRB]

He's not putting on 5 inches of height at this point in his life.

of course not. 6'3" is just the result of the shoe size formula which is only supposed to be a rough estimate. But given the factors discussed, he seems quite likely to grow 1 to 2 inches.

 

[RoadWarrior]

Who was a clear top-line talent still available? Historically, most clear top-line players who drive play (so a Matthews or Marner, and not a Bunting or a Hyman) are generally drafted top 10. Yes, there are one's later in the draft, but actually identifying those is rare. There will always be Kucherov's or Aho's, but good luck consistently identifying them.

People are acting like this draft is deeper than it actually was. But, it seems outside truly bad looking draft classes they usually get overhyped.

This kid has top line potential. Maybe not in a Marner/Matthews way, but in a way that will make that line-perform better as a 3rd wheel.

This draft class wasn’t overhyped. Stop making excuses for incompetent management.

they could’ve taken this guy in the second round by trading down and gotten an extra pick in the process.

 

[The Iceman]

I watched him a fair amount this year, especially in the playoffs. He reminds of Brayden Point at the same age.

High motor undersized C, does everything fast, good forechecker. Don't think he has the Point upside offensively, but even just a similar type player would be beloved here.

I love picking C's that can skate.

Would have loved him in the 2nd round, but hey, gotta trust your scouts.

Except Point was 36G and 91 points AND went in the 3rd round.

 

[RoadWarrior]

There was a lot of discussion at the Leafs table so I’m guessing they tried to trade down but didn’t want to go too far and miss this guy. The trade wasn’t there obviously.

Sandin trade sucked but it seemed they were forced into it. Sitting him this playoffs would’ve pissed him off until he demanded a trade I’m guessing. And I don’t think he was ready for this playoffs. Would’ve loved him going forward tho.

Cowan by all accounts will definitely be an NHL player. Can’t say that about all late 1st round picks. And he’s only getting better.

Everyone chill lol

His playoff numbers are encouraging but he’s no world beater. The best case scenario is a second line centre who scores 50 points and plays with some jam.

That’s not the point. They could have gotten this guy with pick 45 instead of 28. I strongly doubt any other team had him ranked in the top 40.

Nadeau and Gulyayev were elite talents with top line potential still on the board.

 

[cobber]

Why not pick the best player available when your this far down the list.

they would tell you that they did.

 

[Tufted Titmouse]

Except Point was 36G and 91 points AND went in the 3rd round.

He plays a similar style, similar motor and skating, extremely active in transition. But yeah, nowhere near Point's offence, which I mentioned. Felt like a reach, was hoping to nab him later. Oh well. It's only day 1, we will have to give it a year or so.

 

[DarkKnight]

I admit I love every adjective attached to this player.

 

[cobber]

Except Point was 36G and 91 points AND went in the 3rd round.

which is clearly stupid from a scout standpoint.

 

[93LEAFS]

This draft class wasn’t overhyped. Stop making excuses for incompetent management.

they could’ve taken this guy in the second round by trading down and gotten an extra pick in the process.

One, I thought Wes Clark was a bad hire long before 90% of this board knew his name. And, yes, this draft is overhyped. I doubt it hits to the same level as 2015. People just lose their mind every other draft about how deep its supposed to be. Historically, outside the very top of the draft their is very little varience on draft classes from pick 10/15 to the end of the draft. Classes like 2003 (which had weird rule changes that helped create it) and 2015.

And, two, how are you so sure of that? One, you have to find a deal, and two how are you sure he's not snaked.

Who is this clear first-line talent we passed on? If you hit on that one player I'll forever give you credit, but my guess is its not very likely and that player is very far from a sure thing.

 

[baton elevated]

I would certainly try to trade down but To trade down, you need a team calling you to trade up...

So yes maybe they was ready to trade down but just dont get the call for it, we cant know.

Tree was seen on the phone before the pick. It is quite possible it wasn't him soliciting the trade down but rather other teams wanting to trade up. It was probably the leafs that declined the trade down. This was the player they wanted in my opinion.

 

[KMNRB]

The hope that these guys are going to grow always makes me laugh. It's weird how they seem to be younger every year, I know, but 18 year old's are generally done growing upwards outside of extreme cases.

And that shoe size thing is going to be like a 20% correlation at best. He'll put on plenty of weight as he matures into his adult body, and every NHL player grows an inch when they get put on NHL.com, but that's all that's likely.

If you follow the draft in the past, there have been countless players who have grown an inch or two after they were drafted. Just off the top of my head, Mike Modano grew from 6-1 to 6-3. Trevor Linden grew from 6-2 to 6-4. Kadri grew from 5-11 to 6. McDavid grew from 6 to 6-1. Evangelista grew from 5-11 to 6, .... I can probably name you hundreds more.

Of course there are others who don't grow. So I am just pointing to the factors that seem to suggest this guy is more likely among those who grow 1 to 2 inches than those who don't.

 

[Tufted Titmouse]

I admit I love every adjective attached to this player.

He will be a very beloved prospect, imo. Non-stop hustle, plays like a farm boy from London area would. Maybe like a Pageau, back when he was with the Sens and could still skate.

I do think Minten has more upside, but I don't hate having both guys in our prospect pool to hopefully compliment our stars in a few years (if they are still here).

 

[1specter]

Except Point was 36G and 91 points AND went in the 3rd round.

That was also Point's second full season in the OHL, Cowan was a rookie. Point's rookie season numbers were very similar to Cowan's

 

[TML Dynasty]

His playoff numbers are encouraging but he’s no world beater. The best case scenario is a second line centre who scores 50 points and plays with some jam.

That’s not the point. They could have gotten this guy with pick 45 instead of 28. I strongly doubt any other team had him ranked in the top 40.

Nadeau and Gulyayev were elite talents with top line potential still on the board.

No guarantee he’d be available then. Plus how do you know they didn’t try?

 

[Tufted Titmouse]

Honestly, I have no qualms with Tre giving Wes Clarke a homerun swing in Tre's first year here.

If the Kampf news hadn't ruined my day, I would have been feeling pretty good about Tre right now.

 

[justashadowof]

When they called him greasy on the telecast last night I couldn't but help think of Bubbles ..... grreeeesssseeeeyyyyy

An aside:

Once I stepped back and recognized that Trailer Park Boys is just a collection of affluent East coasters mocking and laughing at poor people, the humour became lost on me. One is an entrepreneur. Another is a former PM's cousin. The third is a university graduate in English and a signed recording artist with a major record label. This is Jerry Springer level exploitation garbage by pretentious theater kids.

 

[RoadWarrior]

One, I thought Wes Clark was a bad hire long before 90% of this board knew his name. And, yes, this draft is overhyped. I doubt it hits to the same level as 2015. People just lose their mind every other draft about how deep its supposed to be. Historically, outside the very top of the draft their is very little varience on draft classes from pick 10/15 to the end of the draft. Classes like 2003 (which had weird rule changes that helped create it) and 2015.

And, two, how are you so sure of that? One, you have to find a deal, and two how are you sure he's not snaked.

Who is this clear first-line talent we passed on? If you hit on that one player I'll forever give you credit, but my guess is its not very likely and that player is very far from a sure thing.

Nadeau and Gulyayev both have top line skill sets who were still on the board. Heidt was there as well.

The leafs picked a guy who maxes out as a 50 point player who they could’ve drafted 15 slots later over guys with 80 point potential.

Not a BPA strategy.

Similar to what Arizona did. Arizona reached for guys with size and the leafs reached for a guy with hockey IQ. Montreal constantly reaches for players based on position.

None of these biased strategies are effective IMO. You need a balanced approach.

 

[4thline]

If you follow the draft in the past, there have been countless players who have grown an inch or two after they were drafted. Just off the top of my head, Mike Modano grew from 6-1 to 6-3. Trevor Linden grew from 6-2 to 6-4. Kadri grew from 5-11 to 6. McDavid grew from 6 to 6-1. Evangelista grew from 5-11 to 6, .... I can probably name you hundreds more.

Of course there are others who don't grow. So I am just pointing to the factors that seem to suggest this guy is more likely among those who grow 1 to 2 inches than those who don't.

Keeping it close to home and recent, pretty sure that Nylander and Brown were both drafted at ~5'10 160. Holmberg at 5'10 170 - and was a re-entry