NHL analysts compare top Leafs prospect Easton Cowan to "bastards" like Travis Konecny & Nazem Kadri

Easton Cowan, drafted 28th overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2023, has shown promise with the London Knights in the OHL. According to NHL analysts, he could become a top-six forward who combines skill with a competitive edge.

On the SDPN podcast, analysts Steve Dangle, Jesse Blake, and Adam Wylde compared Cowan to players like Travis Konecny and Nazem Kadri, emphasizing his potential to be a tenacious, pesky forward.

Wylde suggested Cowan could be a “Travis Konecny lite,” a valuable top-six forward, but cautioned against expecting Mitch Marner’s elite offensive output.

"We don't know yet, but the one I heard from somebody who really knows their stuff and watches a lot of London Knights hockey is, "If he becomes Travis Konecny lite, then that is what will be," Wylde said. "That is really good. But the idea that he's going to come in and be Mitch Marner, I think some people have that in their heads for some reason."

Dangle highlighted Konecny and Kadri’s evolution into 30-goal scorers, emphasizing Cowan’s need to develop a disruptive edge:

"Konecny is ordinary in terms of size, but he's a really talented offensive player who's a bastard with a bit of a slant towards playmaking. I think Cowan would be more of a playmaker. Why didn't we land on [Nazem] Kadri?" Dangle said. "There's something that he needs to bring to the table, and that's be an a**hole. If the two names we're bringing out are Konecny and Kadri, you need to be someone who throws other players off their game. Kadri was criticized for the shape he was in. He's not particularly tall. He's not particularly heavy. Same with Konecny."

Easton Cowan has been dominant in the OHL

Easton Cowan has been dominant in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). He was on a remarkable 60-game point streak, showcasing his offensive prowess.

In the 2022-23 season, he recorded 20 goals and 53 points in 68 games, and in 2023-24, he nearly doubled his point total with 12 goals and 39 points in just 23 games.

Last term, the 20-year-old racked up 69 points through 29 goals and 40 assists in 46 games. His performance earned him the OHL’s Most Outstanding Player award and the Memorial Cup MVP in 2025, after leading the London Knights to a championship with a standout performance in the final.

Cowan signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Maple Leafs in 2023. Despite an impressive training camp in 2023, he was reassigned to the OHL for further development.

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Edited by Abhishek Dilta