The Toronto Maple Leafs have re-assigned forward prospect Easton Cowan to the OHL's London Knights.
Cowan impressed the Leafs coaching staff at the start of training camp to earn an extended stay with the group.
The 2023 first-round pick finished the pre-season with a goal and two assists in four games while averaging 16:43 time on ice.
Coward earned Sheldon Keefe's praise during a pre-season game to the point where he was one of the forwards playing both in the final minute and in 3-on-3 overtime.
"He put an exclamation point on it tonight. He was outstanding," Keefe raved after the Leafs' pre-season game against the Ottawa Senators. "I was on the bench and tried to talk myself out of playing him, to be honest, because I got (Auston) Matthews, I got (David) Kämpf and I got (Pontus) Holmberg, all these guys that are older guys are here. They need to get their minutes, but it's hard not to (play Cowan). Every time he was out there, he was making something happen. So, I got sick of talking to myself out of it and started playing him more in the third."
Cowan figures to play a big role with the London Knights after recording 53 points in 68 games last season and adding 21 points in 20 playoff games.
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