Maple Leafs sign Easton Cowan

Maple Leafs Sign First-round Pick Easton Cowan To Entry-level Contract

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced today that the hockey club has signed forward Easton Cowan to a three-year, entry-level contract.

NHL.com

The contract is three-years, as mandated by the CBA, and beyond that the Leafs are being cagey. No AAV, no word on the amount, although the max is to be assumed, so $950,000 cap hit with a signing bonus of $95,000 paid out right now.

ELCs are eligible for a suite of performance bonuses, so the actual AAV could be a lot more than that. Although it used to be standard Leafs practice to try to get players to forego the bonuses in case they were NHL ready before the three years were up.

In Cowan's case, he's heading to the London Knights, and as a player drafted out of the OHL, he has to stay there until he's 20 unless he can make the NHL team. It's almost certain he will play out at least two years of this deal in junior. When he turns 20 in May of 2025, then it's time to move to the Marlies.

NHL.com covered Cowan back in July where they revealed a connection to the Red Wings.

Cowan, Maple Leafs prospect, has ‘pretty cool’ NHL family link to McCarty

Easton Cowan may not look physically imposing, standing 5-foot-11 and weighing 170 pounds, but his style of play suggests a fearlessness that evidently runs in his family.

NHL.com

Brian did three articles on Cowan that begin here:

Getting to Know Easton Cowan Part One: Stats and Context

When the Toronto Maple Leafs drafted Easton Cowan with the 28th overall pick, it produced a mixed reaction. But Toronto has done the same thing with Knies and Minten, so is Cowan set to follow the same path?

PPP LeafsBrian S

When we have the contract information the Leafs should have just published in their release, we'll add that information.