Cowboy Easton Cowan Is Becoming the Old Maple Leafs Hand

There’s a new kid in town in Toronto, and everybody knows his name. Gavin McKenna arrived with enormous expectations, and for good reason. The first overall pick is supposed to attract attention. He is supposed to get people talking about the future.

But while everyone is watching the new kid, another young Maple Leafs forward is quietly becoming an increasingly important part of the present.

Although he’s only in his second season, Easton Cowan is emerging as a veteran.

Easton Cowan is only 21, but it doesn't feel quite right to call him a kid anymore. Cowan scored a power-play goal and added an even-strength assist in Wednesday's 2-1 victory over the New York Islanders. He put three shots on net, threw two hits and finished plus-1.

More importantly, he is starting to look comfortable. Cowan now has a goal and three points through the Maple Leafs' first two games. He's playing in the middle six and getting regular time on the second power-play unit. After scoring 11 goals and 29 points in 66 games as a rookie last season, Toronto is giving him a chance to take another step. And that's the interesting part.

Cowan is starting to look like a keeper.

With young players, the temptation is to look for immediate production. How many goals? How many points? How quickly is he becoming a star? But sometimes the more important development is simply seeing a player begin to look like he belongs. Cowan is doing that.

He doesn't have to have as much potential as McKenna. He doesn't have to become one of Toronto's superstars overnight. The Maple Leafs need him to become something perhaps even more valuable: a reliable young player who can contribute in different situations and grow alongside the team's core. That's how a promising prospect becomes a franchise piece.

And there's something fitting about Cowan doing this while McKenna is generating all the attention. McKenna is the new kid in town. Cowan is becoming one of the old kids in town. At 21, that's not really old, of course. But Cowan has already gone through the prospect hype, his first NHL season, and a deep professional playoff run in the AHL. That gives him something McKenna hasn't had yet: a little experience with what professional hockey demands.

Now Cowan gets to start building something lasting for the Maple Leafs.

The Maple Leafs don't need Cowan to carry the team. They need him to keep becoming a little more comfortable, a little more dependable and a little more dangerous. If there ever was a player who fit the phrase “finding his game,” Cowan is it.

Wednesday was another small step in that direction. And if Cowan keeps taking those steps, the Maple Leafs may discover that while McKenna represents an exciting new chapter, Cowan is already becoming part of the long-term story.