Maple Leafs draft Easton Cowan 28th overall

The Toronto Maple Leafs selected Easton Cowan with the 28th overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.

Easton Cowan

Position: Forward
Height: 5-foot-10.5
Weight: 170 lbs
Shoots: Left
Age: 18
Club: London (OHL)
Nationality: 🇨🇦
NHL Central Scouting final ranking: 51st among North American skaters

2022-23 stats

Cowan made an impact on a top OHL team in the London Knights as a rookie this past season, a notable feat considering the emphasis the Knights place on experience. He was named to the league's second All-Rookie Team for his performance.

The Mount Brydges, Ontario, native took another step in the postseason. He accrued nine goals and 21 points in 20 contests as London went all the way to the OHL Championship Series, losing to the Peterborough Petes.

"You dream of this moment, especially the Leafs," Cowan said after being drafted, according to the Toronto Sun's Lance Hornby. "My talks at the scouting combine with them went well.”

Cowan will return to the Knights next season. He's yet to play internationally for Canada.

What they're saying

"Cowan is a standout skater who buzzes around the ice, works and plays hard, thrives on the penalty kill, and emerged as an important player for a typically strong Knights team this year," wrote The Athletic's Scott Wheeler. "He plays a fast, clever, determined, and consistent game, hunting pucks, winning races, and then making little skill plays when opportunities or openings in coverage present themselves."

"He takes or plays pucks into the middle, thrives in give-and-gos playing off of his linemate, supports play defensively, reads the ice well and plays with patience facilitating to his linemates. He's a heart-and-soul guy who I'm confident will take his career as far as it can go."

Click here to view Cowan's highlights.