Treliving explains why Easton Cowan didn't make Toronto Maple Leafs roster
When the Toronto Maple Leafs put out their opening-night roster on Monday afternoon, it was mostly a routine procedure.
Except for one surprise: the absence of Easton Cowan, who was sent to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies.
Toronto’s 20-year-old top prospect was widely expected to make the roster out of training camp, but is so far out of the lineup to begin the year.
“We want to manage it appropriately. If he’s going to be playing with us here, great, but if not, I want him playing,” Leafs general manager Brad Treliving said Tuesday, as per Toronto Sun’s Terry Koshan.
Treliving also suggested that the move to the AHL might not be permanent, even suggesting he could still make the team’s opening-night lineup in a reversal of their initial call.
“He’s not on the roster,” Treliving added. “We’ll see what happens tomorrow. Easton has had a really good camp. He’s right there ready to play for us.”
The likely player Cowan would replace on the roster would be 23-year-old Jacob Quillan, who’s played just one NHL game in his career to date.
What’s Cowan’s backstory with the Toronto Maple Leafs?
Cowan was a 2023 first-round pick by the Leafs, made with the selection Toronto obtained from Washington as part of a deal for Rasmus Sandin.
He’s one of two first-round forwards Toronto has selected since taking Auston Matthews first overall in 2016, with the other one being the tragically deceased Rodion Amirov.
Last season with the London Knights, Cowan put up 29 goals and 40 assists over 46 regular-season games, followed by 13 goals and 26 assists over 17 OHL playoff games en route to the league title. At the Memorial Cup, Cowan added four goals and three assists in five games to win tournament MVP and the national title itself.
If Cowan does stick with the Marlies, he’ll soon have a chance to hit the ice for his first professional action.
The Marlies head to Rochester for their first game of the season this weekend, taking on the Americans on Saturday afternoon.
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