The Toronto Maple Leafs have spent years tinkering with the formula around Auston Matthews.
The franchise cornerstone has played with a revolving door of wingers, but one partnership always stood above the rest: Matthews with Mitch Marner. For nearly a decade, that duo was Toronto’s gold standard, a mix of the game’s most dangerous goal scorer paired with one of hockey’s most gifted playmakers. Whenever the Leafs needed offense, coaches leaned on Matthews and Marner together.
But Marner is gone now, dealt to Vegas in a blockbuster summer sign-and-trade transaction that signaled the end of an era. Matthews himself admitted it was tough losing “a great friend, great teammate,” but also acknowledged the business side of hockey.
With Marner out of the picture, Toronto suddenly has a very different lineup puzzle to solve. The winger who once shouldered playmaking duties beside Matthews is no longer there.
Which is why it’s fascinating that, heading into the 2025–26 season, there’s chatter about a 20-year-old rookie getting a chance in that coveted spot. Easton Cowan, the Leafs’ top prospect, might not just make the NHL out of camp — there’s talk he could skate alongside Matthews on opening night.
Easton Cowan May Force His Way Onto Maple Leafs Opening Night Roster
Cowan has earned the hype.
Drafted 28th overall in 2023, the Strathroy, Ontario, native has been unstoppable in junior hockey. He put up 96 points (34 goals, 62 assists) during the 2023-24 season, capturing the Red Tilson Trophy as OHL MVP, then earned the Gretzky 99 Award as playoff MVP after scoring 34 points (10, 24) in 18 playoff games and carrying the London Knights to the OHL championship. It was more of the same the next season, as Cowan scored 69 points (29, 40) in 46 regular season games, then added 34 points (10, 24) in 18 postseason games as the Knights won their second consecutive OHL crown.
“He’s very tenacious,” prospect analyst Steven Ellis said on The Leafs Nation podcast. “When he’s at his best, especially in the playoffs, the last couple years in the OHL, when he really wants to puck, he’s going to take it off you because he’s always chasing. He’s got that speed to make it work and he’s got that offensive skill.”
Cowan didn’t just score — he drove play, forechecked relentlessly, and showed the hockey IQ that separates prospects who make the league from those who flame out. Dale Hunter, his coach with the London Knights, didn’t mince words: Cowan will push to make the Leafs better right away.
“Easton is a top player for Canada, and a top player for the London Knights, and he’s gonna push to make the team and play well for the Leafs,” Hunter said, “and every organization needs young guys pushing to make the team and he’ll make the Leafs better, and he’s gonna make it so that’s a good thing for the Leafs.”
The fit with Matthews is where things get interesting. Marner’s chemistry with him was undeniable, but Matthews has also thrived with wingers who do the grunt work — retrieving pucks, winning battles, and keeping the play alive. That’s exactly Cowan’s profile. Analyst Steven Ellis even suggested Cowan could be an ideal complement, less about replacing what Marner brought and more about giving Matthews a different kind of support. In Ellis’ view, Cowan’s relentless forecheck and quick decision-making could create exactly the kind of space Matthews thrives in.
“This is a guy that when he’s at his best, he can be unstoppable,” Ellis said. “He’s not going to be a massive point guy in the NHL. I don’t expect him to get 80 points in the NHL, but could he get you 65 points maybe and do these other things that make him very valuable like go out there and be physical and go out there and play on the penalty kill? Yes. And that’s where a lot of that value comes from.”
Mitch Marner’s Departure Opens Spot on Top Line For Easton Cowan
There are, of course, reasons to be cautious.
At 5-foot-11, 185 pounds, Cowan isn’t imposing, and the grind of an NHL season can expose players still growing into their bodies. Toronto’s depth chart also complicates the picture. The safe move would be sending him to the AHL’s Marlies, where he could log 20 minutes a night against pros, play on both special teams, and develop without the nightly pressure of NHL scrutiny. It’s a path plenty of good players have taken.
But there’s also the “too good to hold back” factor. Cowan’s game is fueled by tenacity and smarts—the type of qualities that often translate immediately, regardless of age.
If he hits camp flying, forces turnovers in preseason, and looks comfortable against NHL speed, Toronto might find it impossible to keep him off the roster. And if an opening emerges on Matthews’ wing, the coaching staff may be tempted to give the rookie a look, especially after losing Marner’s stabilizing presence.
The most realistic outcome is still Cowan starting in the AHL, at least for a stretch. That’s the cautious, developmental path. But it’s not out of the question that he takes the ice on opening night beside Matthews, or rotates into Matthews’ line when the Leafs want more forechecking bite. The fact we’re even talking about it in August says plenty about how highly the organization views him.
Marner’s departure leaves both a hole and an opportunity. Matthews has lost his longtime partner, but in Cowan the Leafs may have found a player who could one day offer a new kind of chemistry—one rooted in grit, energy, and relentless pressure.
Whether it happens right away or a few months from now, Leafs fans should be ready: Easton Cowan looks like he’s coming, and when he does, he’ll make Toronto better.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post ‘Unstoppable’ Leafs Rookie Angling to be Auston Matthews’ New Running Mate appeared first on Heavy Sports.