Cowan brings growing confidence to Calder Cup playoffs

TORONTO — Easton Cowan is not done yet.

After a strong finish to his rookie season with the Leafs, the 20-year-old winger will be in the Toronto Marlies lineup on Wednesday night when they open up the American Hockey League playoffs.

“We just kind of both decided it was the right move for my development and went along with it,” Cowan said of his discussion with Leafs management. “I’m excited to play some hockey.”

Cowan spent almost the entire regular season in the NHL with the exception of two games with the Marlies way back in November. How will going back to the AHL help him now?

“Just more touches,” said Cowan. “It’s good for me.”

It will be positive for Cowan and the Leafs organization if the Marlies go on a deep run. The native of Mount Brydges, Ont. already owns an impressive playoff pedigree after leading the London Knights to back-to-back Ontario Hockey League titles and a Memorial Cup championship last year. The playoff stage seems to suit him.

“I feel like that’s when I play my best hockey,” Cowan said.

Cowan, who stands 6-foot, 190 pounds, showed no signs of wearing down late into his first season of professional hockey.

He picked up nine points in the final 13 games with the Leafs while averaging 18 minutes and 26 seconds of ice time during that stretch since March 21. Cowan impressed coach Craig Berube and teammates by jumping in to defend teammates whenever the situation called for it.

“I feel like, honestly, all year I’ve gotten better,” Cowan said of his development. “So, I’ll try to keep that going here and finish the year off strong.”

The Marlies finished fourth in the North Division and will play the fifth-place Rochester Americans, Buffalo’s affiliate, in a best-of-three series that opens at Coca-Cola Coliseum on Wednesday. If the Marlies advance, they will face the top-seeded Laval Rocket, Montreal’s farm team, in a best-of-five division semifinal.

Cowan sounds like he’s all in even if, as he said after the Leafs final game, he’s already proven he belongs in the NHL.

“We all appreciate it,” said Marlies goalie Dennis Hildeby. “We all know what kind of player he is and he comes down here with a great attitude and works hard and he’s only going to be lifting the team.”

Cowan is a much different player now than the one who was briefly demoted to the AHL early in the year.

“Just confidence,” observed Marlies coach John Gruden. “You can see he’s matured. He’s definitely a confident young man.”

Cowan produced 11 goals and 18 assists in 66 games with the Leafs. He picked up his first career AHL goal over the weekend while playing the final two Marlies regular-season games.

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Cowan finished the NHL season on the Leafs top line playing beside William Nylander. On Wednesday night, he’ll slot in on a line with Alex Nylander.

“I texted [William] the other day saying, ‘We got chem,’” Cowan said with a smile. “He’s like, ‘Ah, it’s easy to play with a Nylander,’ and all that. Pretty funny, yeah.”

“He went from one Nylander to another,” Alex said with a grin. “That is funny. I’ve been watching almost all the games I could this year and they’ve been playing great together. Me and my brother play kind of similar, so it’s going to be good.”

“That’s part of the reason we wanted to do it,” noted Gruden. “They’ll be excited. But maybe they’re missing a couple zeroes at the end of their check.”

William signed the richest contract in Leafs franchise history ($92-million over eight years) in January of 2024.

Cowan is in the first year of his three-year entry-level deal with the Leafs worth $873,500 a season, while Alex is on an AHL deal with the Marlies. They may not make as much as William, but both are sounding motivated.

Cowan is looking to build momentum ahead of a “huge summer” of development while Alex is hoping to earn another NHL opportunity.

“I’ve been grinding the whole year,” Alex said. “I know [a promotion] didn’t come but I’m patient and I know when the time comes, the opportunity comes, I’ll be ready. I just got to keep working on my game and be hungry for that opportunity. I know I can play in the NHL and that’s my goal so I’m not going to stop till it’s time. I’m going to keep going.”

Alex last played in the NHL early last season when the Leafs faced a flurry of injuries and upgraded his contract. The 28-year-old signed another one-year AHL deal with the organization in the summer.

After producing 44 points in 64 games with the Marlies last season, Alex bumped his scoring up to 53 points in 65 games this season.

“He’s playing the best hockey he’s played for the two years I’ve had him,” said Gruden. “He’s playing the best 200-foot game of his two years I’ve been with him. He still has aspirations to play in the National Hockey League and in order to do that you have to work on things you’re not so good at. I think he’s done a real good job of understanding that and bettering himself in that area.”

Alex finished the regular season plus-five after being minus-12 in his first season with the Marlies.

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One reason Alex signed an AHL deal in Toronto was that it provided the opportunity to live with William. And despite his brief 95-second media session on locker clean-out day, William was in no hurry to get out of town.

“He’s still around and he’s going to be watching our games so obviously that’s a lot of fun,” Alex said. “It’s unfortunate for him that he’s not in the playoffs but he gets to see me play so that’s going to be a lot of fun.”

It’s a role reversal for the brothers as Alex has been the one in the support situation during most of William’s nine playoff runs in Toronto.

“He’s been dialled through the playoffs in past years and I’ve learned from that,” Alex noted. “He just keeps going with what he’s been doing through the regular season [but] you know the level steps up a notch in the playoffs and the games are high-paced and stuff like that, so I’ll be ready for it.”

William led the Leafs with 15 points in 13 playoff games last year during the longest run of his career.

William missed time due to injury this season, but still led the Leafs in scoring with 79 points in 65 games. Still, it wasn’t nearly enough to get the team back to the playoffs.

“It was tough sometimes and I was there for him and trying to help him this year to keep going,” Alex said.

There’s been no moping, though, since the season ended.

“He’s excited now to get going and he’s really excited for next year and getting back in the playoffs for next year,” Alex assured.

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Hildeby is 1-3 in his AHL playoff career with a sub .900 save percentage over the past two seasons.

“Still not that much experience in it,” the 24-year-old Swede said of playoff hockey. “But from what I’ve seen from past years, I mean, it’s just competing, just staying present and just more focused on detail in your game, and just take it step by step.”

Hildeby’s season is a tale of two leagues. He led the Leafs with a .914 save percentage in 20 games (14 starts) but posted just an .898 save percentage in 23 games with the Marlies.

“Up and down,” he said. “I took steps in my development and wanted to do more, but it is what it is. As long as it’s going in the right direction, it’s a good step.”

Hildeby is now planning to show he can be the goalie to carry a team on a long playoff run this spring.

“Playoffs, that’s what you play for all year and that’s when it matters,” he said. “It’s definitely a good time to step up.”

The goal is to be a full-time NHL player next season when he will no longer be waiver exempt.

“That’s the mindset,” Hildeby said. “That’s what I’ve been working for down here. Definitely my mindset. We’ll see what happens.”

Hildeby is not the undisputed No. 1 on the Marlies as Artur Akhtyamov actually posted a better save percentage (.904 in 37 games) in the AHL.

“You got a coin? I got just flip it real quick,” Gruden said when asked about his goaltending plan. “We are very fortunate to have two outstanding goaltenders. We’re more concerned, as a staff, to make sure we’re playing the right way in front of whoever’s in net. If it’s Dennis or Arty, we’re confident either way.”

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With the Leafs out of it, several Marlies players got a look in the NHL down the stretch. Outside of Cowan, no one played more than Jacob Quillan, who suited up in 23 games.

“Biggest takeaway? I still got a lot of work to do to make that league and a lot of parts of my game that can get better,” the 24-year-old forward said. “But I learned a lot and hopefully can take it down here and help the team.”

Quillan only registered one goal and two assists in the NHL, but two of the points, including his first career goal, came in the final two games.

Where does he need to improve?

“Probably just my skill, honestly, and making plays at that level,” Quillan said.

Making plays with the Marlies is not an issue. He racked up 36 points in 40 games this season. Quillan scored twice and added an assist in two games over the weekend as he returned to the AHL level.

“Sometimes it takes a couple weeks to get over the ‘Oh, I got sent down’ thing, but not the way he plays,” Gruden gushed. “He plays with a lot of pace. The way he just gets out there and gets after it. Obviously, we haven’t seen any slowdown from him. There’s no hangover whatsoever.”

Quillan scored the overtime winner in the NCAA championship game with Quinnipiac University in 2023. He’s eager to hunt for another title this spring with the Marlies.

“It’s what you live for,” the Nova Scotia native said. “It’s the hockey that matters.”

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Marlies lines at Tuesday’s practice:

Groulx - Shaw - Lettieri

Cowan - Tverberg - Nylander

Quillan - Haymes - Valis

Pezzetta - Pare - Johnstone

Rifai - Thrun

Mermis - Villeneuve

Chadwick - Benning

Hildeby

Akhtyamov

Marlies power-play units at Tuesday’s practice:

QB: Villeneuve

Flanks: Cowan, Shaw

Bumper: Lettieri

Net front: Groulx

QB: Chadwick

Flanks: Haymes, Nylander

Bumper: Tverberg

Net front: Quillan