For the first time since 2019, it looks like the Toronto Maple Leafs are going to have representation on Team Canada at the World Juniors.
World Junior selection camp kicked off on Sunday in Oakville, and the Leafs have not one, but two prospects looking to crack their country’s roster for this year’s tournament. 2022 second round pick Fraser Minten and 2023 first round pick Easton Cowan are both in attendance at camp, part of a roster that’s highlighted by 2024 projected top pick Macklin Celebrini. It’s the first time in five years since the Leafs had any prospects don the red Maple Leaf, with goaltender Ian Scott being the last to do so in 2019.
3⃣0⃣ players have earned invites to Oakville for selection camp.
3⃣0⃣ joueurs ont obtenu leur invitation au camp de sélection à Oakville.
ROSTER: https://t.co/vsrNejyCtT
FORMATION: https://t.co/FLbsKt3fgm #WorldJuniors | #MondialJunior— Hockey Canada (@HockeyCanada) December 5, 2023
Minten took a surprising and frankly unexpected step forward this past fall, where he played well enough in training camp to force the Leafs’ hand and include him on the opening night roster. While his stay in the big league only lasted four games, he displayed his potential and above-average hockey IQ for his age, and if nothing else, pencilled himself for a longer look next season. He’s also fresh off a trade in junior, with the Kamloops Blazers shipping him to the Saskatoon Blades in a deal that saw him join fellow Leafs prospect Brandon Lisowsky. He has five points in six games since the trade.
Cowan on the other hand has been a man possessed to start the season. His selection by the Maple Leafs was initially met with some skepticism, given his projection to go in either the early third round or the late second round at most, but he’s done nothing but prove people wrong to start the year. After tallying 53 points in 68 OHL games in his draft year, Cowan’s on pace to crush his totals from last season in half the amount of games, currently sitting at 39 points in 23 games. That’s good for top-10 in league scoring despite having played eight fewer games than the league’s leading scorer. He came into selection camp riding a five-game point streak, with two multi-point efforts in those games.
Team Canada’s roster will be almost completely revamped from what they ran last season, with Montreal Canadiens prospect Owen Beck being the only returning player. Lots of players who would have been considered, including some would-be returning players, were retained by their respective NHL teams. These players include Connor Bedard and Kevin Korchinski (CHI), Adam Fantilli (CBJ), Shane Wright (SEA), Matthew Poitras (BOS) and Zach Benson (BUF). Lucky for Canada, they’ve got a deep enough talent pool to keep them as one of the top teams regardless of how many returning players there are, and they’ll be looking to take the gold medal for a third straight tournament.
While I’d probably expect Minten and Cowan to start in bottom six roles with the team (assuming they both make it), both players have potential to rise in the lineup and emerge as surprise contributors, namely Cowan. I’d expect Minten to play a consistent role defensively, likely putting in work on the penalty kill, and while those two could potentially start on a line together due to their familiarity from Leafs’ training camp, Cowan strikes me as somebody who could sneak his way up the lineup as the games move along. Either way, the 2024 tournament will be one to keep tabs on for Leafs fans, especially those who typically don’t bother keeping up with the tournament.
News from the rest of the prospect pool:
Nikita Grebyonkin (No. 71) and Semyon Der-Arguchintsev (No. 85) are on the same team at the KHL All-Star game. Each found the back of the net on the first day of the event.#LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/Nn5ZkuCBxh
— Kyle Cushman (@Kyle_Cush) December 10, 2023
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