Easton Cowan is turning into the kind of player who makes front offices sweat a little early.
The Maple Leafs’ young forward has been one of the biggest surprises of the season, and the numbers are starting to look almost absurd. Through 11 games, Cowan has 10 points, and on Tuesday he added his first career shorthanded goal. For a player who already looked solid as a rookie, that’s a serious step forward.
What stands out most is how complete his game has become. Cowan is killing penalties, driving play in the offensive zone, showing real defensive bite, and - with all the noise around Gavin McKenna - he looks like the young guy who’s steering things right now.
That all matters because the contract conversation is already coming into view. Cowan is still on his entry-level deal, but when that runs out in a couple of years, the price tag could get big fast if he keeps producing like this. By one measure, he’s already performing at the level of someone making $10 million a year, with BenchRates putting him at a $9.9 million pace.
His value isn’t coming from one flashy trait. It’s the full package: offense, forechecking, penalty killing, and the ability to create chances.
Even that shorthanded goal against Jet Greaves showed how dangerous he’s becoming. Oliver Ekman-Larsson started the play with the first pass, but Cowan did the rest - corralling the puck, turning, and finishing after faking out Greaves.
He’s also leading the team in xGF% at 5v5, leads the club in takeaways with five, and has already earned Jim Hiller’s trust when the pressure is on. The sophomore forward is ahead of schedule, plain and simple.
That versatility is what makes him so valuable. Cowan can be used in just about any spot in the lineup and still matter.
He can work the penalty kill with his relentless motor, closing lanes and using his stick to break up passes. Or he can slide into a power-play role on the wing, work the cycle, and battle down low.
He can fit next to Auston Matthews on the first line or beside Colton Sissons on the third line, and the game doesn’t seem to care.
The problem for Toronto is that players like this do not come cheap.
Cowan is slated to become an RFA in 2028-29, which means an extension is coming before then. In a league where promising young forwards are cashing in for big money, the Leafs probably can’t afford to wait around. Ryan Leonard and Tristan Luneau have already landed huge contracts for doing less than Cowan, according to the source, and Toronto knows what the market looks like.
A long-term deal seems inevitable, and even if Cowan doesn’t stay at a $10 million level every season, he’s setting himself up for a major payday. A seven-year, $56 million extension would still look sensible in today’s NHL, especially with the rising cap, while also rewarding him for proving he was worthy of a first-round pick.
Whether he maintains this exact pace is the question. But even if he doesn’t, Cowan has already shown the Leafs they drafted a stud - one who has gone from offensive weapon to all-around difference-maker.
And in the modern NHL, that comes with a hefty price tag.
In Other News...
Oilers Get An Early Boost That Could Change Everything Up Front
The trade chatter around the league is starting to pick up, and that always puts Toronto on alert for what might shake loose up front. With names like Connor Hellebuyck, Dylan Larkin and several Pittsburgh veterans already in the rumor mill, the market has a way of forcing contenders and buyers to adjust quickly, especially when a club like Vancouver is looking more like a seller than a team ready to stand pat.
One of the more interesting situations to watch is Jake DeBrusk, who may need to decide whether to signal any openness to movement before his no-movement protection gets tighter. At the same time, Edmonton is getting Ryan Nugent-Hopkins back from injury, a return that should matter both in five-on-five usage and on the power play, and those kinds of lineup boosts can ripple through the trade picture faster than anyone expects. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Just Got Another Intriguing Option For More Size Up Front
Torontos search for more heft up front has put another name on the board, and this one fits the profile the Maple Leafs have been chasing. Dmitri Voronkov has drawn interest from Toronto as the Blue Jackets consider their options, giving the Leafs a potential swing at a winger whose game is built around size, physicality and enough offensive touch to help a middle-six role.
The 26-year-old has been productive over the past three seasons, averaging 19 goals and 19 assists, and he is still under team control beyond this year as a restricted free agent. For the Leafs, the appeal is obvious: a big body who can change the look of a forward group. The question is whether Columbus decides the right move is to keep shopping, and whether Toronto is willing to push hard enough to make the fit work. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Face A Trade Price Fans May Hate Most
Easton Cowan keeps doing the sort of things that make the Maple Leafs think twice before moving him. The prospect turned in a career-best outing in a 6-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets, finishing with a goal and two assists, a reminder that his stock is rising at exactly the moment Toronto is trying to sort out its next move on the back end.
The Leafs are still looking at the kind of young, high-end defenseman who could change the look of their blue line, with names like Simon Edvinsson and Alexander Nikishin in the mix. The problem is that the kind of trade package it would take to land that level of player may run straight through Cowan, and Toronto appears reluctant to go that far even with its desire to strengthen the defense. [Read more 🡒]