Craig Berube on Easton Cowan's lack of ice-time opportunity as the Leafs' season wears on: "We will get his minutes up"

"Yeah, he wanted to try to come back and play this year, but it didn't work out. He got the operation, and it went successfully. He'll be ready for camp next year."

"Well, his minutes were up early on in the year. He was playing on different lines and doing different things on different nights. I sat him out; I thought he hit a wall, so he sat out a few games. We won those three games."

"We all know what he can do. He has great vision and an engine on him. He works extremely hard. There are a lot of good things, but it is the wall battles and so on that we've been working on with him and discussing with him."

"I think he is getting better. He is a good learner. He wants to learn, and he has a great attitude. He has grown a lot this year as a player and will only continue to grow."

Chris Tanev had season-ending core muscle surgery after attempting to return to play this season; the operation was successful and he will be ready for next season's training camp. Easton Cowan's playing time fluctuates based on performance and coach Craig Berube's assessment. Cowan played reduced minutes early in the season across different lines before being benched for three games when Berube felt he hit a wall. He has since returned to the lineup with plans to increase his minutes. Berube addresses Cowan's stick penalty in the offensive zone, emphasizing the need to manage aggression and avoid unnecessary infractions. Despite areas for improvement in wall battles, Berube praises Cowan's vision, work ethic, and attitude, noting significant growth throughout the season.

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