Maple Leafs Prospect Report: Easton Cowan

Finally, it’s time to talk about Toronto and the first pick of this summer. Cowan looked like a starter in summer camps and exhibitions, and then returned to London for the OHL.
For other possible updates, I wanted to wait until about 10 games were completed in their respective leagues before writing a possible report. By the end of last weekend, Cowan had played in exactly 10 OHL games, so now is the perfect time to see how the good#039; managed
Cowan is already getting a head start this season. We all know how good he looked in their rookie camp and then again at the Traverse City prospect tournament where he led all Toronto players in scoring. We’ve also seen him fly in their main NHL training camp and look pretty good against the NHL and other top prospects.
Thus, after the first OHL match, London continued the Cowan-as-hundred experiment that began this summer. He stayed in central London for about 4-5 games before being moved back to the wing. Before and after, Cowanand#039;s game hasn’t necessarily changed much, other than how many faceoffs he takes. Center Cowan looked good locally, but I think he moved partly because of his 43% win rate – plus there are plenty of natural centers in London. I wonder if they’ll go back to that or if Toronto will continue to try him out there if they get him.
Apart from its exact location, Cowan’s usage has not changed. He always gets a lot of minutes in every situation and every type of boost you can imagine. With constant power, the head used to facilitate the return and maintain the lead. He is used a lot on free kicks, as he should be. He also plays a lot in the top power unit. In some overtimes, he is out of the 5 minute period for 3-4 minutes. Add all that and some games where he is used a lot.
In Cowanand’s first 10 games, he has 7 goals and 18 points. Only one of those points came on the power play, and he just got it on Sunday. Four of them failed and he is a total menace. If you sort the OHL slate by points per game, Cowan is 2nd in the entire league regardless of age. And it’s very close, 1.8 points per game behind the leader’s 1.88.
In short, Cowan blows production expectations out of the water. I expected him to make a similar jump in production as Fraser Minten did in D+1. But nearly 2 points per game and being among the top offensive producers in the league is so much more. Heavy usage helped, though like I said he didn’t really rely on many power points. I think his season so far has gone as well as anyone could have hoped for, and I’ll admit a lot better than I expected.
So it is worth asking what and what is behind the huge success? I mentioned above that Cowan plays a lot. To like a lot. But considering that he only has one power point so far, he was basically a monster with weak strength and short circuit. Both bode well for him, as his production numbers could rise if the powers that be in London begin to clash. EYE DAMAGE REPORT

Cowan is an odd player for me to watch, and that’s smart. You can see by watching him that he is a very good and effective player, but not very clearly. It’s like trying to describe how or why John Tavares is so good compared to someone like Marner or Matthews. The head may not be that spectacular, the head is fine. Real Boy Scouts might be able to break it down better than I can. But I try all the same.
For me, Cowan is the “king of small things” or jack of all trades, but non-andquot; type of player. He may not be truly elite at any one skill, but he is very good at everything. I can’t think of one major weakness in his game, just some areas that aren’t as good as others. I think his game combines a combination of a fast, hardworking player and a very intelligent decision maker. Cowan may not be the fastest or most skilled skater, but he is still very fast and skilled. He also has good stamina – which helps when he has very long shifts, he still hangs with everyone when he’s on the ice for a minute or even two. While others on the ice can slow down after a long stint, Cowan can continue at a higher level than most of his peers.
This is a good example of his skill, footwork and endurance. It happened in overtime. His constantly moving feet freeze the defender and when he does, he explodes to get past him to create an open lane to the net.
Here’s another example – it’s just pure Cowan speed. Head is quick enough to get to the loose puck twice, then the defenseman slides to the net for the break.
Cowan may not be the most dynamic passer like Mitch Marner, but he is a very good player and distributor of the puck. He’s a very good puck handler – even if he’s not flashy, his puck handling and aforementioned skating help him create passing opportunities. Second, he just makes the right decisions most of the time. He will not force a pass very often, and will opt to make a simple or safer pass where it makes sense.
Here is one good example. Keep an eye on Cowanand#039;s body positioning and where all the other players are on the ice. His body and feet are facing the net, which gives him the opportunity to shoot. However,