Despite losing their second straight game to the Detroit Red Wings on Monday afternoon, there was a lot more to like from the performance of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Not only did they dominate in the shots on goal department (40-15), but they also saw rookie Easton Cowan have a strong showing in his NHL debut. The arrival of the 2023 first-round pick (28th overall) had been much anticipated by the fanbase and organization, particularly given that he's by far the team's top prospect.
Head coach Craig Berube showed confidence in the rookie from the jump, throwing Cowan right into the fire in game one on the top line with Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies. And while he wasn't able to get on the scoresheet, everyone was very impressed with his play.
Jonas Siegel of The Athletic shared what Knies, Matthews, and Berube all had to say about Cowan's debut.
"I think he played phenomenal. He did a tremendous job in every zone. I think he played simple and then made some great plays," Knies said.
"He made plays, made smart plays with the puck. And when plays were there to be made, he made them. And when the simple play was there, to just get the puck deep or whatnot, I thought he made it... I think he just carries himself with such a good confidence in himself and the way that he can play and compete," Matthews said.
"I thought he had a great game. He made a lot of good plays with the puck. Five-foot plays all over the ice—he made a lot of them," Berube said.
“I think he played phenomenal.”
— Jonas Siegel (@jonassiegel) October 14, 2025
Easton Cowan looks like he might just belong with the Maple Leafs: https://t.co/aSmngu5C5K
The 20-year-old Cowan finished with one shot and three hits in his 14:05 minutes of action in the losing effort.
Will Cowan stick?
Now that his NHL debut is behind him, the question is, will Easton Cowan remain a Toronto Maple Leaf beyond the nine-game mark of the season?
More performances like Monday and some production to go with it will make it very hard for the Maple Leafs not to keep the kid around.
As the sixth-oldest team in the league (28.84 years average age), it's evident that Toronto needs a jolt of youth energy in its lineup, and what better way to get it than from one of their own in Easton Cowan?
His next opportunity to prove he belongs comes on Tuesday night as the Maple Leafs host the Nashville Predators at Scotiabank Arena.