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

[LeafChief]

How the f*** do you not trade back if this is your guy.

I hope this post gets bumped in 5 years and I'm very wrong but holy f***.

 

[horner]

Like really do the keafs need another really small forward. Is no one awake working for the franchise

Other teams are drafting 6 for 2 or bigger players but the leafs like smurfs who can't take the rough play

You haven't seen him play he is far from shy on getting rough

 

[ITM]

Really don't give af who we drafted since our best players are still young. All I know about this pick is that trading Sandin was pure stupidity.

To make matters worse Stennberg (I might have been one of the first to pump his tires here) was picked with our 1st, dealt to St. Louis for ROR who isn’t staying…Obviously these are perfect world scenarios but it would be nice to have them in the right order again.

 

[6ix]

Reminds me a bit of Mike Richards. That would be unreal. It’s a reach based on where he was ranked but you never know.

 

[GQS]

So for everyone who's down on Cowan, who would you have taken with the Leafs pick at 28 that would seem to be significantly better?

 

[Brown Dog]

You can't just assume there's a palletable trade down scenario just because the guy they wanted wasn't the consensus pick at 28.

 

[BertCorbeau]

NHL Potential

When you look at how Cowan plays hockey, you see someone that easily projects to the NHL. He has a perfect combination of skills including strong skating, playmaking ability, defensive responsibility, and drive that are needed to take those next steps into the league. While he definitely needs time to develop his body physically, this is already a solid base to build upon.

Strengths

• Strong two-way skater
• Great defensive instincts
• Non-stop motor
• Sees the ice at an elite level

If things go well, I could see Cowan acting as a second or third-line centerman in the NHL, who kills penalties, takes on time on the powerplay, and acts as a general energy forward to help propel his team forward. There are plenty of examples of these types of players in the league right now, so the path is there for him to follow in the coming years.

"There was a transformation in Cowan’s game through the season from a hard working, tenacious and secondary player to a player that not only drove his line, but his team. It was most evident when he led his team to a Western Conference Championship… Cowan is a terrific skater with a great separation gear that allows him to challenge defenders one-on-one. When chasing dump-ins, he regularly beats defenders to those pucks. It helps that he has a non-stop work ethic as well".

Lots of desirable attributes. I think if he was 2" taller more people would love the pick

 

[BertCorbeau]

How the f*** do you not trade back if this is your guy.

I hope this post gets bumped in 5 years and I'm very wrong but holy f***.

Well no one traded back at all tonight .. Suffice to say that it's possible a deal wasn't there

 

[exporta]

Like really do the keafs need another really small forward. Is no one awake working for the franchise

Other teams are drafting 6 for 2 or bigger players but the leafs like smurfs who can't take the rough play

This kid plays bigger than any of the “big” guys we’ve been drafting.

Hes still young, at 5’10 he could still grow an inch or 2. He’ll likely play around 5’10-11 and 190-195 lbs.

For me, ill take a 5’10 buzz saw that plays bigger than his size, than a 6’5 slow player that floats around out there and is soft as butter. Drafting for size leaves you with Tyler Biggs, Freddy Gauthier, Engvall, Myers, Kenny Ryan, and the abundance of shit players Burke and Nonis drafted.

This size concern is ridiculous. You can always ADD size at the deadline

 

[Stand Witness]

i fully expect Cowan to be a fan favourite prospect by 25 games into next season.

 

[All Mod Cons]

Liking a player is fine but trade down if he's ranked much lower.

Lower by whom?

 

[Isaac Nootin]

Dubas traded Sandin and we got back

3 months of Gustafsson

This guy.

Just a failure of asset management from top to bottom here.

You know this is failure of asset management how exactly?

Remeber when posters cried about the Sandin draft selection? I do.

Same old.

 

[Amadeus]

Love the pick!

 

[Leaf Fans]

About time the Leafs picked the BPA! Good choice.

 

[DarkKnight]

Super competitive, excels in the playoffs, great skater. I’m open minded.

 

[Dragao6]

People on here know that this could would be available tomorrow but…
The leafs do not have a 2nd or 3rd or 4th round pick right?
I believe we only have a 6th now?

 

[Leaf Rocket]

Like really do the keafs need another really small forward. Is no one awake working for the franchise

Other teams are drafting 6 for 2 or bigger players but the leafs like smurfs who can't take the rough play

Nice to see you posting again

LL, Wendel was 5'11ish I think and he played his heart out, and had the tenacity of 10 people stronger than him. You don't always need to be 6'2 and larger to play that hard. Also from what everyone is saying he runs on extra gear, so let's give him a chance.

 

[uncleben]

Lower by whom?

 

[Fonzieleaf]

Similar numbers to Nick Robertson's draft year. Seems to have some of the same traits. Lets just hope he isn't as fragile as Nick.

 

[Dion TheFluff]

I guess on the bright side, he is one of the younger players in the draft. Hopefully lots of room for growth and improvement

 

[Community]

i fully expect Cowan to be a fan favourite prospect by 25 games into next season.

Given the rise in his draft ranking as the year went on and the fact that he plays for London? I would not bet against that.

Probably needs 2 years before we have any idea of what we got.

 

[Stephen]

I've put eyeballs on him. Not a fan of the pick if for no other reason than I think we could have moved down into the mid 30s and grabbed him. I didn't peg him as a high draft pick, but he did stick out. If he's 5'11 he may have grown a little since I saw him earlier in the season last year. Good motor and drive to the net. Took it up another notch in the second half and playoffs. Not super sold on him as a 1st rounder but London's track record gets their players drafted higher than one might think at first glance. Will get to see him lots next year and form a better opinion.

It is funny that he's the kind of pick people would have expected from Dubas. Whomp Whomp.

He looks like a stocky forward who can handle a puck clean and distribute it in traffic, good mobility from the videos I've seen in the last half hour. Very buzzy and smart with his stick, break up a play. Made some nice plays around the net offensively that may not have gone in. I'm literally just describing what I've watched. Doesn't seem that exciting. But you don't really get super exciting things at 28 anyway.

I guess the bigger philosophical question is, do our talent evaluators think this is the biggest splash we can make at 28, and is this the type of player, along with Minten, who is going to move through the developmental system and emerge as a critical player down the road given the way the game is played? Meh. It's ok.

 

[leafsfan2point0]

A few thoughts:

1. We’ve had success with London players, hopefully that will continue.

2. I feel like they were hoping for either Ritchie/Musty and of course they went right in front of us.

3. Wes Clark is definitely the guy that’s been making our picks for the past few years. There’s no way Treliving made this pick, he’s brand new to the team and was only granted access to join the team after the 16th pick a couple days ago.

4. Hopefully it pans out. I’m getting a Villainous vibe which I do like for the leafs.

 

[DarkKnight]

 

[baton elevated]

Sounds like a Gallagher or mangipanni type of player