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

[The Masters]

 

[KMNRB]

Maybe he can play with marner and channel his playoff energy into his idol

 

[mydnyte]

the more I watch and read up on this player the better I feel about this pick. Seems like he has an excellent chance of becoming a real high end complete middle six forward. Not expecting him to make an impact anytime soon though, looks like he’s still 2 years away from being 2 years away.

i can even picture him filling a role on Matthews wing and digging out pucks for him, so, Matthews isnt just constantly getting into shooting position for a puck the never comes, because none of his linemates can take away/win a board puck battle

 

[Leaf Rocket]

General vibe after the season: we have too many skilled-type players to succeed in the playoffs.
General vibe after this pick: we should have drafted a skilled player with 1st-line potential.

This place is funny.

I hope eventually everyone realizes hey man this is our pick and we want him to succeed. If he succeeds, the leafs succeeds, instead of OH NOES

 

[cyris]

I hope eventually everyone realizes hey man this is our pick and we want him to succeed. If he succeeds, the leafs succeeds, instead of OH NOES

Being critical of this pick doesn’t mean people don’t want him to succeed.

 

[hockeywiz542]

Easton Cowan | NHL Draft

Toronto Maple Leafs

Leafs Draft Pick Easton Cowan speaks with the media during the 2023 NHL Draft.



Meet Toronto draft pick Easton Cowan: talks hockey style, Mitch Marner & wearing iconic Leafs jersey

Toronto Maple Leafs

June 29, 2023

Leafs Nation, meet London Knights forward Easton Cowan who was picked 28th in the first round of the 2023 NHL Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs. We talk to him about his strengths on the ice and in the locker room, as well as what it was like being drafted to his hometown team.

 

[Leaf Rocket]

Being critical of this pick doesn’t mean people don’t want him to succeed.

Definitely important to be critical and wonder what could've been, Gauthier over Theodore

Best to accept & adapt instead of looking for the ship that's sailed IMO.

 

[cyris]

Definitely important to be critical and wonder what could've been, Gauthier over Theodore

Best to accept & adapt instead of looking for the ship that's sailed IMO.

I was so pissed the Leafs took Gauthier over Hunter Shinkarik at the time lol. The Leafs may have been wrong but I certainly wasn’t right that year.
I agree that it’s best to try to find the upside here especially when you are looking at picks that will really be a mystery box for years but I think you can do that while still acknowledging legitimate criticisms. I like this prospect. I also think they likely could have traded down 20 spots and still got him.

 

[Leaf Rocket]

I was so pissed the Leafs took Gauthier over Hunter Shinkarik at the time lol. The Leafs may have been wrong but I certainly wasn’t right that year.
I agree that it’s best to try to find the upside here especially when you are looking at picks that will really be a mystery box for years but I think you can do that while still acknowledging legitimate criticisms. I like this prospect. I also think they likely could have traded down 20 spots and still got him.

Oh, I remember Hunter, yea there was so much hype around him too! But I had eyes set on Theodore for a long time, and have buddies in Seattle so I knew this guy was gonna be good Was not happy as Nonis went with the pick of need, not BPA. Gauthier is a nice guy just not the player.

This year has been an anomaly though, no first-round trades are unprecedented. The rumor was both the Blues and Leafs were looking to move but no one wanted to budge in the first round so I think it was hard to do anything this year in general tbh. There are a lot of soft deals in place but a lot of juggling is going on in the background.

 

[hockeywiz542]

 

[diceman934]

Should have traded down and got him at 40.

He would have no long gone. We got a gem and at 28 we stoled him. Next season he will be talked about as a big steal.

 

[Byron Bitz]

Where can we hear the full interview

 

[JSn0w93]

This is true, if they could have traded back and gotten them they would have. They couldn’t. I wouldn’t even be surprised if he would have been picked in the 1st round if we had went elsewhere.

 

[Leaf Rocket]

Where can we hear the full interview

Leafs eventually post it on their youtube page but its not up yet.

 

[AcerComputer]

 

[Leaffan197703]

maybe the leafs wanted to trade down but they could could not find a team to deal with. The kid did get 21 points in 20 playoff games. you can't do without having skill.if Easton is as good as Matt knies and nick Robertson we have a good prospect. The first round was unusual as no team traded down

 

[thinkblue]

maybe the leafs wanted to trade down but they could could not find a team to deal with. The kid did get 21 points in 20 playoff games. you can't do without having skill.if Easton is as good as Matt knies and nick Robertson we have a good prospect. The first round was unusual as no team traded down

Tre said he tried to trade down and acquire more picks, just wasnt anything there.

 

[Stephen]

The most important thing is not skills, its hockey QI... Having elite skill without hockey QI, who will not able to use it in NHL

Having less skill bit high hockey QI, you can be an impactful player

The best exemple i can give you is Patrice Bergeron who are not an elite skilled player but hes probably the smartest player in NHL. Hes always at the right spot at the right time, he rarely make mistake, he saw the play coming to him before its happening, hes reading prefectly whats his opponent trying to do as much offensivly than defensivly.

Player IQ has been way overstated by the Dubas regime over the past number of years.

Of course you don’t want a roster full of Alex Galchenyuk’s, that’s literally good skills gone to waste because of a lack of hockey IQ… and of course you want a Patrice Bergeron who bats above what his physical tools are… but the game is full of good systems players who play effectively without having that IQ (trademark) branding.

 

[Leaf Rocket]

Where can we hear the full interview

 

[rve24]

Kid is a battler. Huge, consistent progression over pre draft year and during his draft year. Effort never an issue.
I have LK seasons and was previously involved in minor n lower lever Jr.....kids desire n work ethic was top notch. Never on a bench with his team buy all the players know each other.
Thought he would quick thru the year and he did bit a little shocked he went that high. He won't disappoint.
Had a great POs and next year will be a top 2 or 3 F on a usually stacked team. The #s will reflect that but #s aren't his most impressive attribute. It's hustle n work ethic. D side needs attention but thst will come. He is a genuine pain the AZZ to play against and already offensively a go to guy ( not a given in London with the way they develop n roll vets)
Damm it wish no one took a chance, he dropped n the Habs coulda scooped him lol.
He earned it, bit of a risk but he will be the type that fans love.
I see the acceptance of the pick by Leaf fans taking a step forward after his next year as a reg on the 1st line

 

[thewave]

This is true, if they could have traded back and gotten them they would have. They couldn’t. I wouldn’t even be surprised if he would have been picked in the 1st round if we had went elsewhere.

So clark asked her to the prom first because Jimbo was going to do it after class. This is how we do drafts in Toronto.

/Whiskeh, lots of whiskeh.

 

[thusk]

Player IQ has been way overstated by the Dubas regime over the past number of years.

Of course you don’t want a roster full of Alex Galchenyuk’s, that’s literally good skills gone to waste because of a lack of hockey IQ… and of course you want a Patrice Bergeron who bats above what his physical tools are… but the game is full of good systems players who play effectively without having that IQ (trademark) branding.

Most of those player will be grinder...

Personally with high pick, i prefer trying to get a konecny than a kind of josh anderson at best but you can having your own opiniom

 

[tuckerintensity]

Nothing says it wasn't a reach like the team who drafted him telling you it wasn't a reach.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

So was Cowan the BPA on our board or not?

I mean if this guy reached for Cowan for the sole purpose of making sure someone else didn't get him, but passed over better players because of it, then you are just doing a really bad job.

And this is obviously not in the context of the decision to move up or down either. It was to take the guy at the pick they already had. Just say you had the guy as your BPA and stand by the decision.

 

[TDotMassive]

The Toronto Maple Leafs continue to show why they are so much smarter than the other 31 teams in the NHL.

Under Wes Clark as head of amateur scouting, the Leafs have typically drafted a scoring forward with their first pick, regardless of what round it is in. It doesn't matter if the player is undersized, can't skate backwards, or has any other deficiencies in his game. If he can put the puck in the net, draft him.

Clearly that philosophy hasn't changed since Dubas left.

I don't know anything about Cowan other than what I've just read. His ceiling appears to be lower than previous reaches by the NHL's smartest front office. He's looks to be more of the same of what they have drafted plenty of already.

So much for diversification.

Another master class in asset management, Toronto Maple Leafs style.

They drafted two D's in Liljegren and Sandin in the 1st round in back-to-back drafts...