The old saying “all good things must come to an end” rings true for Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan, as the 19-year-old forward failed to record a point on Friday against the Peterborough Petes, effectively snapping his unofficial OHL record of 65 straight games with at least a point.
For Cowan, his goal was never on continuing the streak into this season. His goal was always to make the Leafs out of training camp and make the full-time jump to the NHL this season.
Unfortunately, that’s not how things worked out for the former 1st round pick in 2023, as Cowan failed to win a spot on the NHL roster this past fall, punching a one-way ticket back to the OHL for the 2024-25 season.
Cowan had a breakout season in 2023-24, notching 34 goals and 96 points in just 54 games. This season, he’s still well above the point-per-game threshold, but with 40 points in 30 games, he’s producing at a lower rate than he did last season.
His struggles, if you want to call them that, could be due, at least in part, to the disappointment of failing to make the NHL following a year which made him appear to be nearly a shoo-in. In addition, the disappointment of failing to medal at the World Junior Championship tournament with Canada in back to back years could have also added to the mental anguish for the young forward.
If this rings true, and if the Leafs really are looking for an impact forward before this year’s deadline, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them dangle Cowan or Minten in front of teams as a means of accomplishing their goal of landing a true difference-maker.