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The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed 2023 first-round pick Easton Cowan to a three-year, entry-level contract on Thursday. The 18-year-old winger was selected 28th overall in Nashville in June after scoring 53 points (20 goals, 33 assists) in 68 regular season games and 21 points (nine goals, 12 assists) in 20 playoff games for the OHL’s London Knights last season.

Toronto left a number of people scratching their head after picking Cowan, who was ranked by some draft experts as a mid-round pick, but others considered the 5’11”, 170 lb. winger someone who could be selected early on Day 2.

Easton Cowan is officially a Toronto Maple Leaf pic.twitter.com/6UUsnQb3rH

— Kyle Cushman (@Kyle_Cush) August 10, 2023

Elite Prospects described Cowan as an “highly intelligent and creative forward. He creates opportunities by outspeeding and outdangling the opposition. Cowan's hockey sense matches the quickness in his feet, he's able to link passing plays in transition, manipulate defensive gaps with clever movements and feints, and find pockets of space in the slot.”

The Hockey Prospect Black Book prophetically said “Easton plays a style of game that is becoming increasingly rare. We feel he has just enough skill to go along with his excellent hockey IQ and elite compete level, to allow him to be the winger on a line up and and down the top three lines. It’s hard to guess on where he could potentially be selected in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. We think there is a chance he could possibly sneak into the end of the first round, but more likely will be an early second-round pick. We’d be surprised if he slides any further than the middle of the second round.”

🖊 We’ve signed forward Easton Cowan to a three-year, entry-level contract

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) August 10, 2023

It is expected that the youngster will return to the Knights after training camp for his second full OHL campaign.

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