Easton Cowan determined to make the Maple Leafs roster out of training camp

It’s been a busy summer of training for Easton Cowan. Now with training camp on the horizon, the 20-year-old has his sights set on one goal: crack the Toronto Maple Leafs roster.

Ahead of training camp, Cowan spoke with Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun, sharing where his head is at as he enters Leafs training camp for another season.

“My mindset right now is to make the Toronto Maple Leafs,” Cowan said. “That’s my goal. We’re at an NHL camp and that’s where I’m at until further notice. This is definitely the most confident I’ve ever felt — faster, stronger, bigger. So that’s going to help me out a lot. I’ve put in the work this summer. Now, it’s just go out there and prove I can play.”

After winning the Memorial Cup with the London Knights last season, there was a sense of accomplishment that his work in juniors was done. At Leafs development camp in July, Cowan was focused on what was next, sharing the same things he’s now talking about. He was working on getting faster and adding weight, and it looks like his hard work is paying off. Now, he’ll have to show that extra work he’s been putting in as he hits the ice in Toronto.

“It all went well,” Cowan said of his summer. “I’ve been skating with the NHL guys who are all funnelling back now. They’re all coming up to me to give congrats [on the Memorial Cup win], asking how my summer’s been. Little messages like that go a long way and I feel a little closer and comfortable around all of them.”

Now, it’s either the AHL or the NHL for the Leafs’ top prospect this season, but for Cowan there’s really only one option. In The Leafs Nations’ summer player expectation series, Alex Hobson wrote the expectation for the season for Cowan is just that, crack the NHL roster:

While Cowan was given a reasonable shot to crack the Maple Leafs’ roster last season, it was pretty obvious that he wasn’t ready for full-time NHL action, so the team sent him back to junior where he rightfully succeeded. This season, the odds will be against him again, considering the abundance of bottom-six forwards the Leafs have, but he’ll still be given every chance to make the team if he proves to them he’s worthy of a job.

The goal for a player in Cowan’s position should always be to make the NHL team. After all, if you play like you’re destined for the AHL, you’re going to be destined for the AHL. Putting the team in a position where they have a legitimate decision to make in terms of who to trade so he can stay on the roster would be a great problem that I’m sure all parties would welcome, and it all starts with a good training camp.