"We'll see how the Leafs handle Easton Cowan, but it's really the last piece to sort through at this point. After appearing to be a lock to start the season on a line with Steven Lorentz and Scott Laughton, Cowan watched Laughton fall injured and Nick Robertson play really well, and suddenly, his spot is in question. In the first practice post-training camp, Cowan was not in the top 12."
"Over the past few weeks, I've been vocal about my belief that Cowan should start in the AHL, see a pile of ice time, play in every situation, and develop away from the Toronto limelight. Part of my reasoning is that I don't believe he has leapt off the page in preseason. He has been solid to the point where fans should be optimistic about his future, to be sure, but he's not been exceptional to the point where he should bypass the AHL altogether."
Toronto's initial roster includes Jacob Quillan for now, but roster changes are expected as he needs more AHL development. The Leafs currently have about $20K cap space with injured reserve players Scott Laughton, Rifai, and Woll accounting for significant salaries. Placing Rifai on long-term injured reserve would permit exceeding the cap by roughly $755K and allow calling up Easton Cowan while sending Quillan down. Easton Cowan lost a presumed roster spot after Laughton's injury and strong play from Nick Robertson. Cowan recorded two assists in five preseason games, produced some good looks, but did not consistently create dangerous chances. Starting Cowan in the AHL would provide heavy ice time and situational development away from Toronto's spotlight.
Read at Maple Leafs Hotstove
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]