London Knights head coach Dale Hunter expects to see Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan push for a spot in the lineup for the 2025-26 season.
The team’s top prospect has recently wrapped up his OHL career, where he was once again one of the team’s most important pieces en route to their second consecutive appearance in the Memorial Cup Final. The Knights were able to get the job done this time around, and Cowan was also able to secure the Memorial Cup MVP for his efforts as he led the team in playoff scoring with 39 points (13 goals and 26 assists) in 17 postseason games.
His former coach made an appearance on The Fan Morning Show with Ben Ennis and Brent Gunning on Wednesday, where he was asked about Cowan’s chances of making the Leafs lineup to begin the year.
“He’s going to push to make the team and play well for the Leafs,” he said. “Every organization needs young guys pushing to make the team, and it will make the Leafs better. And he’s going to make it. So, that’s a good thing for the Leafs.”
While it remains to be seen if Cowan will indeed be on the opening night lineup, there is certainly a chance for him to snag a spot. One of the team’s primary needs has been the acquisition of a top-six forward and that void has yet to be filled so far this offseason. Things can certainly change between now and training camp, but the opportunity is there for Cowan to grab a spot if he can earn it.
Should he make it there, the next challenge will be to stay in the NHL while being a positive contributor on a nightly basis. Hunter said the best advice he can provide Cowan is to be ready for the physical demands of an 82-game season.
“It’s the best league in the world, and you’ve got to be physically ready for it because there are big guys in the National Hockey League,” he said. “It’s 80-plus games and it’s a grind in there, and you just got to be ready every night to perform, be consistent, and that’s what the NHL guys are looking for.”
Hunter is not the first one to heap high praise on Cowan’s chances to claim an NHL spot, as his trainer felt similar last summer, while GM Brad Treliving said before training camp last fall that there would be a spot for the prospect if he could prove he is capable. Head coach Craig Berube said that the key was for him to show that he didn’t have any more ‘junior habits’, which the coaching staff deemed unsatisfactory enough despite being at camp until the end.
As for how Cowan himself feels about where his game is at, he feels it’s in a good place and was especially proud of his ability to elevate his play in big moments.
“I’m just worried about myself,” he said during the 2025 development camp earlier in July. “I have the chance to get a job. That’s up to me to go out there and show what I can do and play my game. Still a couple months away, so I’m gonna take every day, day by day, and just keep getting better.”
He is by no means a shoo-in to crack the Leafs roster out of camp, but the opportunity is there for him to stake his claim as someone who can help fill the void left behind by Mitch Marner. At the very least, Hunter feels that Cowan has what it takes to make it.
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