Easton Cowan Puts Toronto Maple Leafs In A Tough Spot After Strong Start To The Season

Easton Cowan scores his first career shorthanded goal for Toronto© X(formerly Twitter)/@TheTorontoSun

Easton Cowan is making the Toronto Maple Leafs' lineup decisions a lot harder than they expected. Eleven games into the 2026-27 season, the 21-year-old has four goals and 10 points, claimed a top-six spot during John Tavares's injury absence, and scored his first career shorthanded goal against Columbus on Tuesday. Head coach Jim Hiller has publicly called him a player who has surpassed even his own high expectations. When Tavares returns, Toronto won't be able to quietly slide Cowan back down the lineup without real consequences.

Cowan's Role Has Moved Past The Conversation Stage

This isn't a situation where the Maple Leafs get to take their time. Cowan has 10 points in 11 games playing alongside Nick Paul and Kirill Marchenko, and the coaching staff has already trusted him in penalty-kill situations alongside William Nylander. That shorthanded goal against Columbus wasn't luck. It was a player reading the game, jumping on a rush, and finishing. Head coach Jim Hiller made his feelings clear after the win.

“We've talked about him a lot. I can't say enough good things about him, honestly. He's exceeded my expectations, and I had high expectations for him. But I've told you, he told me this is what he was going to do. He's living up to his end of the bargain. Now he's a regular penalty killer. He's a good player, and he's going to have a great career,” Hiller said.

That kind of public endorsement from a head coach carries weight. Cowan isn't being sheltered in a third-line role anymore. He's deployed in real situations, and he's delivered.

Hiller also spoke about what has changed in Cowan's game from a maturity standpoint.

“I think it's just the physical maturity and the mental maturity, too. I shouldn't say mental maturity—just understanding how the NHL works. It's one thing how junior works. It's one thing how the American League works. How does the NHL work? You've got to understand that. I think he's gotten there,” Hiller said.

When Tavares returns, the Maple Leafs won't be able to bump Cowan back down without a serious cost to their lineup depth.

The Draft Pick That Keeps Looking Better

Two seasons ago, Cowan was dangled in trade talks for Mikko Rantanen. The Hurricanes reportedly came close to accepting him in a deal before walking away. That near-miss looks increasingly fortunate for Toronto right now. Fraser Minten, the other name floated in those discussions, ended up in Boston. Missing out on Rantanen still stings in some corners of Maple Leafs country, but holding onto Cowan has quietly become the right call.

Toronto selected him 28th overall in the 2023 draft, a class that opened with Connor Bedard, Leo Carlsson, and Adam Fantilli at the top. Those three carried massive expectations into the league. Cowan didn't. He was the guy picked near the end of the first round, given time to grow, and told to earn his spot. He's doing exactly that. Early re-draft conversations around the 2023 class have already started placing him inside the top 10.

He's not going to get a Carlsson-sized contract. He won't be handed a captaincy. But at 21, producing at a top-six clip and trusted in crucial game situations, Cowan has made a convincing case that the Maple Leafs need to stop treating his roster spot as something to be revisited. It's settled.