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

[the Mighty Oak]

My point was that there were still better offensive options from the OHL never mind other leagues still on the board at 28.

There is a reason they don't rank these kids by Analytics going into the draft.

 

[RoadWarrior]

There is a reason they don't rank these kids by Analytics going into the draft.

Lardis is a better skater who also looks better with the eye test. Unfortunately for him he wasn’t a London Knight.

 

[the Mighty Oak]

Lardis is a better skater who also looks better with the eye test. Unfortunately for him he wasn’t a London Knight.

I can't say much about this kid. I have no idea who he is. I will say this though, you seem to have a bias against the London Knights. and quite possibly that's affecting your judgment.

 

[RoadWarrior]

I can't say much about this kid. I have no idea who he is. I will say this though, you seem to have a bias against the London Knights. and quite possibly that's affecting your judgment.

No bias. London is a great organization but there are dozens of others in the CHL. Leafs need to look further afield.

 

[horner]

Lardis is a better skater who also looks better with the eye test. Unfortunately for him he wasn’t a London Knight.

You could be very right but it seems as though other teams had Cowen higher.
Coul

Well, I don't know how connected he is still with the leafs, But remember, the London Knights are always bringing in elite kids into the organization. I seen an episode of Kippers show this week. and Bourne said Dubis purposely wouldn't draft a London night.

It's about time we stated to draft London Knights players.

 

[horner]

Lardis is a better skater who also looks better with the eye test. Unfortunately for him he wasn’t a London Knight.

Hunter was in charge of the 2017 draft
I was shocked that we didn't draft Robert Thomas.

We drafted Ljiligren because I believe at that time we needed defenceman.

So don't tell me just because he is a London Knight we would draft him.

Of course they are going to talk to Dale Hunter on of the best coaches in junior hockey.

Hunter doesn't give alot of responsibility to a young player.

Chris Tierney is a perfect example
It wasn't until his 3rd season that he got Hunters trust.

Dale Hunter has a pro organization

 

[RoadWarrior]

You could be very right but it seems as though other teams had Cowen higher.
Coul

It's about time we stated to draft London Knights players.

Yup. Let’s only draft players from London. What an amazing strategy.

Hunter was in charge of the 2017 draft
I was shocked that we didn't draft Robert Thomas.

We drafted Ljiligren because I believe at that time we needed defenceman.

So don't tell me just because he is a London Knight we would draft him.

Of course they are going to talk to Dale Hunter on of the best coaches in junior hockey.

Hunter doesn't give alot of responsibility to a young player.

Chris Tierney is a perfect example
It wasn't until his 3rd season that he got Hunters trust.

Dale Hunter has a pro organization

Dale Hunter is the lord god of hockey and we must follow his orders

 

[zman77]

London Knights GM Mark Hunter on critics suggesting the Leafs “reached” to pick Easton Cowan: “They must not see him play enough… He’s the real deal”​

On Sportsnet’s Real Kyper and Bourne, London Knights GM Mark Hunter discussed the Maple Leafs selection of Knights forward Easton Cowan at 28th overall in the 2023 NHL Draft.


First and foremost, can you talk about the type of player that the Leafs just drafted in Easton Cowan?
Hunter: He is a high-energy player. He plays both ends of the ice. He can kill penalties. He can play the power play. He can make plays. He has real good skills.
He needs to get stronger yet. He is still a little bit light. But his dedication to the game is off the charts.
What was his progression like with the team over the course of the season?

Hunter: He started in Jr. B the year before. We always kind of take our time with our players. He skated with us. He was in our gym with us. There was lots of development with him the year before.
We want these young men to earn their ice time. We didn’t give it to him. Every day, he came, practiced hard, and played hard. By the end, by halfway through the season, he just took off. He out-played some of our 18 and 19-year-olds. He deserved to play.
He had a heck of a run in the playoffs. The playoffs were fantastic for him. He brought his game to another level.
Did the Leafs really gamble on this pick late in the first round when some teams are saying they didn’t have him in their top 50?
Hunter: I disagree. They must not see him play enough.
You have the eye test. You have the video. You have the analytics. We have a company that does work for us, and his numbers in the second half were off the charts.
If you come to watch him play, he stood out — against tough competition, too. We were playing [Ethan] Del Mastro, who plays for Sarnia and is a Team Canada defenseman. He did a fantastic job against stiff competition.
If you watched him, he is the real deal.
How does the opportunity change for him next year in London?
Hunter: One thing is that he needs to get stronger. He will do the work to get stronger. He is going to be put in a position to be a go-to guy. He was a go-to guy in the last half of the season and especially in the playoffs.
We have a real good team here. He will be a part of a formula here for winning.
Does the lack of trade movement speak to how deep the draft was or how tight money is across the league?
Hunter: I think it is a little bit of both. The money is tight, and there were some good players that teams felt they could get in the 28th hole, the 27th hole, etc. In years past, it wasn’t there.
In this year’s draft, everybody was hungry for these young kids. A guy like Cowan — he has tons of upside. Some day, he will be a Leaf and he will play for the Leafs.
All it took was Kyle Dubas going to Pittsburgh for the Leafs to start drafting Knights again, right?
Hunter: [laughs] Yeah, that’s right!

London Knights GM Mark Hunter on critics suggesting the Leafs "reached" to pick Easton Cowan: "They must not see him play enough... He's the real deal"

On Sportsnet’s Real Kyper and Bourne, London Knights GM Mark Hunter discussed the Maple Leafs selection of Knights forward Easton Cowan at 28th overall in the 2023 NHL Draft. First and foremost, can you talk about the type of player that the Leafs just drafted in Easton Cowan? Hunter: He is a...

mapleleafshotstove.com

 

[RoadWarrior]

London Knights GM Mark Hunter on critics suggesting the Leafs “reached” to pick Easton Cowan: “They must not see him play enough… He’s the real deal”​

On Sportsnet’s Real Kyper and Bourne, London Knights GM Mark Hunter discussed the Maple Leafs selection of Knights forward Easton Cowan at 28th overall in the 2023 NHL Draft.


First and foremost, can you talk about the type of player that the Leafs just drafted in Easton Cowan?
Hunter: He is a high-energy player. He plays both ends of the ice. He can kill penalties. He can play the power play. He can make plays. He has real good skills.
He needs to get stronger yet. He is still a little bit light. But his dedication to the game is off the charts.
What was his progression like with the team over the course of the season?

Hunter: He started in Jr. B the year before. We always kind of take our time with our players. He skated with us. He was in our gym with us. There was lots of development with him the year before.
We want these young men to earn their ice time. We didn’t give it to him. Every day, he came, practiced hard, and played hard. By the end, by halfway through the season, he just took off. He out-played some of our 18 and 19-year-olds. He deserved to play.
He had a heck of a run in the playoffs. The playoffs were fantastic for him. He brought his game to another level.
Did the Leafs really gamble on this pick late in the first round when some teams are saying they didn’t have him in their top 50?
Hunter: I disagree. They must not see him play enough.
You have the eye test. You have the video. You have the analytics. We have a company that does work for us, and his numbers in the second half were off the charts.
If you come to watch him play, he stood out — against tough competition, too. We were playing [Ethan] Del Mastro, who plays for Sarnia and is a Team Canada defenseman. He did a fantastic job against stiff competition.
If you watched him, he is the real deal.
How does the opportunity change for him next year in London?
Hunter: One thing is that he needs to get stronger. He will do the work to get stronger. He is going to be put in a position to be a go-to guy. He was a go-to guy in the last half of the season and especially in the playoffs.
We have a real good team here. He will be a part of a formula here for winning.
Does the lack of trade movement speak to how deep the draft was or how tight money is across the league?
Hunter: I think it is a little bit of both. The money is tight, and there were some good players that teams felt they could get in the 28th hole, the 27th hole, etc. In years past, it wasn’t there.
In this year’s draft, everybody was hungry for these young kids. A guy like Cowan — he has tons of upside. Some day, he will be a Leaf and he will play for the Leafs.
All it took was Kyle Dubas going to Pittsburgh for the Leafs to start drafting Knights again, right?
Hunter: [laughs] Yeah, that’s right!

London Knights GM Mark Hunter on critics suggesting the Leafs "reached" to pick Easton Cowan: "They must not see him play enough... He's the real deal"

On Sportsnet’s Real Kyper and Bourne, London Knights GM Mark Hunter discussed the Maple Leafs selection of Knights forward Easton Cowan at 28th overall in the 2023 NHL Draft. First and foremost, can you talk about the type of player that the Leafs just drafted in Easton Cowan? Hunter: He is a...

mapleleafshotstove.com

100% completely unbiased opinion here…..


unfortunately there were about 30 other draft eligible players with better resumes playing on teams not called the London Knights.

 

[WTFMAN99]

100% completely unbiased opinion here…..


unfortunately there were about 30 other draft eligible players with better resumes playing on teams not called the London Knights.

It did suck that we were never gonna take a London Knight if Dubas stuck around...they're a good organization in terms of developing talent.

 

[the Mighty Oak]

100% completely unbiased opinion here…..


unfortunately there were about 30 other draft eligible players with better resumes playing on teams not called the London Knights.

There may be 30 other draft eligible players with better resumes. but you are clearly biased against London.

 

[RoadWarrior]

It did suck that we were never gonna take a London Knight if Dubas stuck around...they're a good organization in terms of developing talent.

Any bias is a problem whether that be positive or negative.

There may be 30 other draft eligible players with better resumes. but you are clearly biased against London.

Nope. London is a great organization. However there were better players than Cowan still on the board.

 

[horner]

Yup. Let’s only draft players from London. What an amazing strategy.


Dale Hunter is the lord god of hockey and we must follow his orders

Is that what I said no it wasn't
In Dubas tendure we have not drafted a London Knight players
All I Saud it is finally refreshing to draft a player from there

You really have a hate on for Dale Hunter.

 

[Isaac Nootin]

That’s a very small sample size and the guy who was first in Playoff pts/g for players under 18 was Nick Lardis who is a better skater than Cowan and still available at 28.

Nick Lardis was also still available at 38 and 48.....and 58....etc.

Lardis is a better finisher, but he's not a better skater than Cowan.

 

[RoadWarrior]

Nick Lardis was also still available at 38 and 48.....and 58....etc.

Lardis is a better finisher, but he's not a better skater than Cowan.

He is a better skater than Cowan. Lardis was one of the fastest skaters in the draft.

 

[Isaac Nootin]

He is a better skater than Cowan. Lardis was one of the fastest skaters in the draft.

In you're opinion, sure. You seem to speak in absolutes alot.

 

[RoadWarrior]

In you're opinion, sure. You seem to speak in absolutes alot.

Since Cowen wasn’t invited to the top prospects game like Lardis was there was no way to do a direct comparison. However Lardis was the fastest skater in the top prospects game.

 

[Knies iT]

B+ pick.

You can't trade down if another team doesn't want to trade up. At the end of the day, you ensure you get your guy. One of the faster risers in the second-half who, much like Minten, had an excellent playoff run that raised his stock.

I loved the Knies pick immediately post-draft when most were dumping on it. Although i'd put them a tier or two below, i've felt similar with the Minten/Cowan picks and would rank them like so:

Knies
-
Cowan
Minten

BPA is so subjective. Most would have celebrated Cristall at 28 because he'll outshine a Cowan in junior and appear as BPA in the short-term. But Cowan has way more layers to his game that will make him a more coveted middle sixer at the pro level and allow him to be a better complementary piece to elite talent. It's all about projection in 3-5 years. He has trickster elements to his net front game, much like a JVR, and plays with the attitude of a Kadri. I actually see a lot of similarities to Naz, but with less high-end puck skill at the same age and a game more suited to LW.

For comparisons sake, I think he's a much more intelligent player than other sub 6'0 top 60 picks like Robertson or Pelletier. No elite standout attributes, but creates more with less and has better spatial awareness. I like the pick.

 

[Isaac Nootin]

Since Cowen wasn’t invited to the top prospects game like Lardis was there was no way to do a direct comparison. However Lardis was the fastest skater in the top prospects game.

Fastest, no he wasn't.

Agility and weave with the puck, he tested great, yes.

However, skating, along with compete is Cowans best attributes.

There's a reason Lardis dropped to the 3rd round.

 

[StuckOutHere]

Is it just me or did we basically draft Trevor Moore?

 

[horner]

Since Cowen wasn’t invited to the top prospects game like Lardis was there was no way to do a direct comparison. However Lardis was the fastest skater in the top prospects game.

The hockey Writers
Cowen
Strengths
Strong two way skater
Great defensive instincts
Non stop motor
Sees the ice at an elite level

Under construction
As an undersized forward he May get overlooked

Nick Lardis
Strengths
Great shooting power and accuracy
Quick wrist shot
Accurate passing
Great speed and agility

Under construction
Physicality and strength
Defensive game
Show more engagement without the puck

It's the entagibles that separate the two

 

[Leaf Rocket]

Is it just me or did we basically draft Trevor Moore?

might be just you

 

[RoadWarrior]

The hockey Writers
Cowen
Strengths
Strong two way skater
Great defensive instincts
Non stop motor
Sees the ice at an elite level

Under construction
As an undersized forward he May get overlooked

Nick Lardis
Strengths
Great shooting power and accuracy
Quick wrist shot
Accurate passing
Great speed and agility

Under construction
Physicality and strength
Defensive game
Show more engagement without the puck

It's the entagibles that separate the two

Lardis Is a better shooter. Cowen is rated higher defensively.

 

[StuckOutHere]

might be just you

I don't know, high end bottom six guy with a motor that won't quit, kinda sounds like Trevor Moore.

 

[DuklaNation]

Seems like there is a bias towards London Knights over recent years.