The Toronto Maple Leafs are providing Easton Cowan with every opportunity to showcase himself this pre-season.
The team’s top prospect will get into his fourth pre-season game Saturday night against the Montreal Canadiens. He will be the only Leafs player to appear in every game of the team’s pre-season schedule so far.
Cowan has gone pointless in all three games he has played while averaging 14:31 of ice time and has five shots on goal. The Leafs’ first-round pick from the 2023 NHL Draft did get an opportunity to play with Max Domi and Mitch Marner in Thursday’s pre-season game but still appears to be on the outside looking in on making the opening night lineup.
Toronto’s roster for Saturday’s game does not feature many NHL players but does include Matthew Knies, Simon Benoit and Pontus Holmberg.
Head coach Craig Berube also noted that goaltender Dennis Hildeby will play the entire game for the Leafs, with Artur Akhtyamov backing him up.
Toronto still hasn’t seen defenceman Jani Hakanpaa practise with the main camp roster but that could change soon.
Berube told reporters that he hopes Hakanpaa will be able to join the main group to start next week. The 32-year-old has been working his way back after having arthroscopic knee surgery at the end of last season.