‘It’s insane’: Easton Cowan forcing Maple Leafs into tricky decision

“That’s a good question,” head coach Craig Berube stalled Thursday, before Cowan’s spin on the club’s “top” line helped power a 7-2 exhibition romp over a NHLer-heavy Montreal Canadiens lineup. 

“I can’t answer that question. That’s a hypothetical question. I’d be putting him in a bad spot, us in a bad spot, everybody in a bad spot by saying what he has to do to make the team.

“Just keep playing right now. We’ll make decisions with time.”

Let’s read between the lines here.

After returning to junior after his first two camps, the 20-year-old desperately wants to be a Leaf. No one so ambitious dreams of being a Marlie.

The coach adores Cowan’s tenacity and believes the prospect can give Scott Laughton and Steven Lorentz’s fourth line an offensive jolt before eventually grinding his way up the lineup.

Yet Cowan is the only fringe forward who can start his season in the AHL with ease. 

Fellow hopefuls like Nick Robertson, Calle Järnkrok and David Kämpf all require waivers to be sent down, not to mention an awkward conversation and the potential for a disgruntled employee.

In a cap world, not all of management’s decisions are based on merit.

Furthermore, the Leafs must survive three more exhibition dates and a handful of practice days. There is still time for injuries or trades to impact individual fate.

To a man, though, the veteran Leafs have raved about Cowan’s increased confidence, consistency, and competitiveness this month.

“Just seems a lot more comfortable and familiar with everything that comes with camp,” John Tavares says. 

“When you’re young, especially someone as talented as him, you can always think about the results a lot, and really (it’s) just the way you’re playing and the process to it. You can just sense that he’s got a good understanding of what he has to do, shift to shift, to play well and impact the game.”

Whether it’s was his no-look give-and-go that set up Bobby McMann’s power-play strike Tuesday in Toronto or his quick chemistry with Scott Laughton and Steven Lorentz during Thursday’s touchdown in Montreal, Cowan has sprinkled his effort with dashes of creativity.

“For being so young, it’s insane, the skill-set he has. From where he was last year to this year, he’s taken tremendous strides. That’s a decision that the coaching staff and the organization have to make. Because when you’re a kid that that young, you don’t want to rush a kid in, but if the guy’s ready to play, then you want to play him, and you want to get him into the battle of playing with men,” says Lorentz — in full rave mode. 

“Physically, he looks a lot stronger. His play with the puck and the passes he makes, the vision he has, is world class. So, it’s only a matter of time. If it’s not right away, it’ll be very soon. So, I’m happy for the guy. 

“At the pro level, it’s a different game, but he’ll pick it up super, super quick, and he’s already taking tremendous strides. So, I’m excited to see what happens with him.”

On that final note, Lorentz speaks for all of Leafs Nation.

Five years after being drafted a Montreal Canadien, the late-blooming prospect finally got into a pre-season game. The Toronto native scored two goals — against his favourite boyhood team, the Maple Leafs, no less. 

“I just remember just how cool that was. And I remember them talking about it on the panel and being like, ‘Ah, cool experience for this kid, but he is probably never gonna make it.’”

Well, not only did Pezzetta make it, the energy winger suited up 51 games for the Habs that season — and never forgot the television commentary soundtracking of his exhibition breakout.

“I just remember that. It was funny,” says Pezzetta with a chuckle. “I was like, ‘You know what, guys…’”

Pezzetta, 27, skated in 200 games over four seasons for Montreal before signing a two-year deal with his hometown Leafs on Canada Day.

Pre-season or not, the tough guy was anticipating an emotional return.

Laughton–Lorentz duo dominates

When it comes to forwards, Berube is the Noah of head coaches: He’s looking for pairs.

Even those animals on the fourth line.

Chiseled into this camp’s lineup are a centreman and winger for each line. Who rounds out those trios is much more in flux:

Berube’s early belief in the Laughton-Lorentz duo was reinforced Thursday, as the close friends combined for four goals and seven points in the rout.

“I really liked them last year in the playoffs,” Berube says. “They really feed off each other. They got good chemistry together. They’re pretty tight. So, I like those guys together.”

The two Toronto-area checkers like the combo, too. Berube deploys the pair both 5-on-5 and on the penalty kill.

And to think, Laughton (Oshawa Generals) and Lorentz (Peterborough Petes) are not so removed from a bitter Ontario Hockey League rivalry

“Him and I got very close,” Lorentz says. “We’ve come a long way from the junior days, where I really didn’t like the guy. You know, he kind of lit us up in Oshawa when I was in Peterborough quite a bit. It’s been a 180 since then.”

“His face, honestly,” Lorentz grins. “He’s got that mean, nasty look on his face — and he plays with an edge.”

Laughton knows the real reason he used to drive his wingman nuts.

“It’s because we only lost to him once in my four years in Oshawa,” Laughton quips. “That’s probably why. They had a good — a decent team, I’ll say. They were decent, but it was a big rivalry in junior, right? We saw him eight times a year, and we’d see him all the time. So, it’s pretty cool to be playing with him. He’s obviously from around this area, so to get to know him and how good of a guy he is off the ice, it’s nice.”

One-Timers: Defenceman Marshall Rifai left Thursday’s game with an upper-body injury…. William Nylander missed practice in the name of maintenance. “Got a little banged up, but he’s fine. Yeah, that’s all it was,” Berube said…. McMann, snakebit since March 25, has scored in consecutive pre-season games. He added an assist and ripped a game-high five shots…. Matias Maccelli just dropped back-to-back two-assist performances…. The Maple Leafs take on the Canadiens again at home Saturday.