AHL Notebook: Easton Cowan, Cleveland, Calder Cup Battles & More
The Calder Cup Playoffs are heating up, and so is Easton Cowan, who has two goals and four assists in six games, making him the prospect to watch so far. Plus, Cleveland is moving on, and there are plenty of great battles right now.
Easton Cowan is having a defining moment in the Calder Cup Playoffs and his young hockey career. His two goals and four assists in six games, including four points in two games against the Laval Rocket have the Toronto Marlies one win away from the North Division Final. He’s leading the way for a series upset against a Rocket team that was the best in the division all season.
It goes without saying that the 20-year-old forward is one of the top prospects for the Toronto Maple Leafs. His skill and playmaking ability make him a bright spot and a potential building block for a team that lacks them. The question is how good Cowan is and how good he can become.
Cowan as an X-Factor For Marlies & Maple Leafs It’s odd seeing him in a Marlies jersey, not because of his age but because of where he spent most of his rookie season. Cowan only played four games with the Marlies and 66 with the Maple Leafs, essentially making him an NHLer and not a developing prospect. Cowan delivered for the Maple Leafs, with 11 goals and 18 assists, which is respectable for a rookie season.
His play in the playoffs, where he’s taken over the past two games to lead the Marlies to consecutive wins, shows that the pressure of a big stage isn’t too big for him. He’s a player who steps up and comes up in the clutch in the playoffs. It’s what happened when he was with the London Knights in the Ontario Hockey League, and it’s happening with the Marlies as well.
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