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The Toronto Maple Leafs with only eight picks over the last two NHL Drafts were not expected to have many players playing on the international stage, but based on projections for Team Canada for the 2024 IIHF World Junior in Sweden next month made by The Athletic , the Leafs could have their top two picks from the 2022 and 2023 Drafts wearing Red and White (and possibly Black).
2022 second-rounder Fraser Minten seemed to be destined to fill a depth role after attending Canada’s off-season workouts the last two summers, playing in the Memorial Cup last June, making the Leafs out of training camp this fall, and starting off quickly after returning to Kamloops earlier this month, but the surprise projection is 2023 top pick Easton Cowan.
Cowan has had an impressive upward trajectory since the second half of last season with the London Knights. The 18-year-old averaged over a point per game during the OHL Playoffs, which opened the eyes of Toronto scouts to the point that they selected him 28th overall at the draft in Nashville.
The feisty forward continued showing progress at the Traverse City Prospect Tournament and at Leafs training camp, playing so well as to earn a few preseason games before heading back to junior. Since being sent back to the Knights, he is second in club scoring and 11th in the OHL with 27 points (8 goals, 19 assists) in 16 games and could be in the mix as a depth forward.
Easton Cowan (No. 7) extended his point streak to seven games with a shorthanded primary assist on Saturday in a 4-0 win against Guelph.
The Leafs will practice on Wednesday following two full days off after returning from Sweden. Their roster may look slightly different when they skate at Ford Performance Centre, as the Toronto Sun’s Lance Hornby reported that both defenseman Simon Benoit and forward Bobby McMann were listed on Cap Friendly’s transactions as being demoted to the AHL Toronto Marlies on Monday.
The Marlies play Lehigh Valley on Tuesday, which could be the reason for the move, but it could also be a cap move to clear space for the $1.1 million salary of defenseman Conor Timmins, who practiced with the club prior to departing for Sweden and is close to being ready to return to the lineup.
Toronto Maple Leafs Blogger • 
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