Easton Cowan is doing what too many Maple Leafs veterans won’t
Photo credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Easton Cowan is fighting heavyweights, elbowing aggressors and playing like Darcy Tucker reborn. Toronto needs to find ten more like him this summer.
While he hasn't shown the level of offensive dominance as he did in the OHL, Cowan has come in and shown a pretty solid overall game that includes 26 points, 68 hits, and a fairly sizeable 43 PIM, but it's the latter that is drawing some attention.
Not in a bad way however, as Cowan is showing a lot of heart and fire recently, especially after Auston Matthews went down in early March.
The youth movement is bringing the relentless edge not seen since Darcy Tucker was in the lineup
He's fighting the biggest guys, not backing down from a scrum and on Saturday night showed a lot of chutzpah when it came to taking on Mikey Anderson:
First, Cowan levelled Anderson with a hit, then absorbed the immediate receipt he got, and finished things off with a cheeky little elbow to show Anderson he meant business.
It's exactly what the team needs when it comes to roster construction. Young players who have that added edge to their game, and won't give in when things get tough. He wanted to gain possession and looked like a different beast out there — if takedowns were legal you'd be Cowan would have shot the leg too.
Hate to say it, but this is what you got Max Domi for. He's a veteran who is supposed to be that chippy, get into the grime player who fights for pucks then uses his playmaking to contribute; not just wait until he finds an open puck.
Keith Pelley needs to find more Easton Cowans this upcoming summer
Cowan's game is almost starting to become reminiscent of another Maple Leafs player who became a staple in the lineup: Darcy Tucker. Cowan is slightly bigger but both men are great offensively, tough as nails, love to fight and agitate — it harkens back to when Toronto had their most success.
Tucker gave you 20 goals, 50-60 points, and a ton of physicality despite his smaller size. That is Cowan's trajectory and then some, as he is more than capable of scoring 25-30 goals and having 75-80 points; there's a precedent here.
It's why Toronto was so successful in the early and mid-2000s. They had guys who were hounds on the puck, wouldn't give into anything and complemented the stars.
Mats Sundin and Alex Mogilny wouldn't have had the success they had if not for guys like Tucker, Tie Domi, Shayne Corson, and Travis Green. It was the supplemental guys who helped ease the burden on the stars and create true balance.
While it's going to be hard to find the age range of Cowan given that a lot of free agents are in their 30s, there are names like Jason Dickinson and even a returning Scott Laughton who could add that extra grit to fight for pucks and play a level of defence that decreases the load for Auston Matthews.
We saw how Cowan affected the game as a whole on Saturday. He had a power-play goal, three shots, three hits, and 2 PIM. While he didn't come away with the win and was minus-3, he's still just a rookie.
He set the framework, now it's time for Toronto to find those types of players who are ready to make the impact needed now.
Also read on Hockey Patrol :
Auston Matthews is about to hear the Leafs’ pitch for next season and it will define the future of the team
Auston Matthews is about to hear the Leafs’ pitch for next season and it will define the future of the team
| POLL | ||
AVRIL 5|963 ANSWERS Easton Cowan is doing what too many Maple Leafs veterans won’t Are you impressed with Easton Cowan's rookie year? | ||
| Yes | 787 | 81.7 % |
| No | 176 | 18.3 % |
| List of polls | ||