Cowan, Minten happy, determined campers among Leafs prospects

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Easton Cowan figures he has grown as a hockey player.

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Literally and figuratively.

Since we last saw the Maple Leafs prospect playing for the London Knights in the Memorial Cup this past spring, he said on Wednesday that he is up a half-inch to 5-foot-11 1/2 and has distributed his weight a bit, adding a couple pounds of muscle.

On the ice, Cowan is seeing a difference.

“I feel like I’ve gotten stronger,” the 19-year-old said after the Leafs’ prospects had their first practice at the Ford Performance Centre in preparation for two games in Montreal this weekend against the Canadiens’ prospects. “Winning puck battles down low at both ends of the ice (is where the difference is felt).

“As a winger, you get into a lot of puck battles along the boards, and those are crucial in any type of game. Getting those pucks out and being a bit stronger, that will help a lot.”

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The Leafs’ first-round pick in 2023, Cowan is playing the left side on what amounts to a super-line among the Leafs kids this week. At centre is 2022 second-round pick Fraser Minten, while Nikita Grebenkin, who had 41 points in 67 games last season for Magnitogorsk of the KHL, is on the right side. Grebenkin was drafted by Toronto in 2022 and signed a three-year contract in April.

At some point, each of the three is expected to make an impact in the Leafs lineup.

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You could argue that the best chance once training camp opens next week is in the hands of Cowan, who sees the possibilities on the left side like anyone else and can’t do much more at the junior level with the Knights. A year ago, Cowan was among the last cuts at Leafs camp.

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Yes, the Leafs have added veteran Max Pacioretty to the mix on a professional tryout, so there’s another competitor for a job. Bobby McMann will be looking to prove that his play last season before he suffered a lower-body injury in mid-April was not a one-off. And Nick Robertson will be hungry after signing a one-year extension this week.

“The NHL is a tough league, so I’m just excited for the challenge,” Cowan said. “I’m just going give it my all, play my game, do my thing, just have fun out there, be a happy kid. I’ll trust what they think they should do with me, and trust the process like I’ve always been doing.

“I definitely have a better understanding going into camp here. Last year I didn’t really know what to expect. This year I do.”

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In charge of the Leafs rookies this week is Toronto Marlies coach John Gruden. The physical factor with Cowan stood out on Wednesday.

“He just looks like more of a man (than last year),” Gruden said. “He looks stronger. He’s got that little bit more of a pop and that year makes a huge difference, especially playing for a great team and organization with the London Knights.”

For Minten, who again is rooming with Cowan after doing so in previous camps, the experience of making the Leafs out of camp a year ago and playing in four games before he was returned to junior hockey is indispensable. Still, the 20-year-old said he isn’t peering at the depth chart and wondering where he might fit in.

“Not necessarily,” Minten said. “You’re aware that (the Leafs have) super high-end offence up front, and you’re probably not breaking in in that role. So it’s probably going to be in one of those lower roles in the lineup.

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“You’re going have to play physical, you’re going to have to show that you can make safe and smart plays consistently.”

A job with the Marlies could be what’s in order for Minten, as a solid year in the American Hockey League would benefit his development. Whether it’s with the Leafs or the Marlies, Minten, who said he is re-reading passages from two of his favourite books — The Champions’ Mind by Jim Afremow and Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday — to keep his mental state in check this week, is bound to be in Toronto this year.

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“It has been a goal for a long time, you want to play a pro hockey,” Minten said. “Getting the opportunity to do that one way or another is going to be awesome. It’s fun high-level hockey, which is what I’m here for.”

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When he was not training this summer, Cowan spent time on the golf course, primarily at Caradoc Sands in Strathroy, and enjoyed “lots of bonfires” on cottage getaways.

For Minten, hiking and wake-surfing in the Vancouver area took up his time when he was not on the ice and in the weight room in the past several months.

Minten might have been speaking for both himself and Cowan when he talked about his mindset for the coming weeks.

“There’s no point in worrying about results or what’s going to happen,” Minten said. “Just control what you can control right now.”

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