Toronto Maple Leafs' Easton Cowan suffers major setback: he likely will be sent back to junior

Easton Cowan comes to Maple Leafs training camp boasting all the confidence in the world, with outside pressure not seeming to faze him one bit. But with many eyes now on him, there's growing interest in whether he can crack a Leafs lineup that's traditionally hard for young players to break into. If recent history is any indication, the mountain Cowan will have to climb won't be an easy one. Still, his near-point-per-game season with the London Knights last year and time spent with Canada's world junior team have put Cowan right at the top of a list of prospects to keep an eye on.

Cowan continued to impress at this year's rookie games in Montreal, arguably outshining his prospects. His strong performance builds on the momentum he created last season during training camp, where he initially caught Leafs' management's attention. While the Leafs' roster is tough to crack, Cowan's path has mirrored that of players like Matthew Knies and Fraser Minten, who similarly made their NHL debuts with the Leafs last year. Whereas Knies remained with the big club and carved out an important role for himself, Minten did not stick around past his nine-game audition.

Yes, there are other rookies fighting for camp attention, but breaking into the Leafs lineup will be as much about opportunity as natural talent. Injuries to players like Connor Dewar and Steve Lorentz can open some of those doors a little wider for younger players to seize. Still, rookies like Cowan are starting deeper on the depth chart in line combinations subject to change before the pre-season games even start. The latest update today shows Easton Cowan not on any of the power play units, which is not a great sign in terms of him sticking around with the big club.

These exhibition games before the start of the season will be the real test for Cowan, as well as all other young prospects. The first one is against the Senators tonight. Cowan's exhibition performances last preseason were pretty noticeable. This time around, he works just as hard in practice with hopes of regaining his position.

Easton Cowan's quest to make the Leafs' active roster all along reflects those rookie struggles in camp in which the Leafs have been extremely competitive. Past successes and his current dedication continue to keep alive the opportunity that will be determined by both his chances and performance. It all begins tonight.