The Toronto Maple Leafs kick off their 2023-24 season on Oct. 11 against the Montreal Canadiens in a much-anticipated Original Six matchup. The Maple Leafs’ lineup once again has an array of stars but also some notable prospects to watch like Fraser Minten and Matthew Knies. However, there were also some other young players who did not make the NHL roster that fans should watch very closely this season. Let’s go over three of them now.
Easton Cowan
Easton Cowan was not expected to make the Maple Leafs roster for the start of the season, and general manager (GM) Brad Treliving confirmed today (Oct. 10) that he is heading back to junior. However, he still impressed during the preseason. The 2023 first-round pick made an impact offensively and showed Maple Leafs fans that he is a tenacious forward who is heavy on the forecheck. Needless to say, he made himself noticed this preseason, and he will need to be watched closely throughout the 2023-24 season.
Cowan is expected to be a key part of the London Knights’ roster in 2023-24. The 18-year-old finished last season with 20 goals and 53 points in 68 games played. However, his play noticeably improved as the year progressed, and he was especially effective in the postseason. In 20 playoff games, he had nine goals to go along with 21 points. The Knights will be expecting more of that production from the youngster.
Related: Maple Leafs: Predicting Top 5 Scorers for 2023-24 Season
Alas, Cowan has the potential to be a big part of the Maple Leafs’ roster later down the road, but it will all depend on how he develops from here. We will need to wait and see if he takes a big step forward this season with Knights, but when looking at how well he played this preseason, it is hard not to feel optimistic about him.
Topi Niemela
Topi Niemela was among the Maple Leafs’ final preseason roster cuts, and he is set to start the season in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Toronto Marlies. This will be the 21-year-old defenceman’s first full season in North America, and all eyes will naturally be on him because of it.
It is not a secret that Niemela is one of the Maple Leafs’ top prospects. The 2020 third-round pick has the tools to potentially become a top-four defenceman later down the road and some believe that he is the Maple Leafs’ top prospect after Knies. As a result, expectations are high for the right-shot defenceman heading into this season with the Marlies.
Related: Top 5 Players With 60-Goal Potential for 2023-24 Season
Another reason why all eyes will be on Niemela this season with the Marlies is because he was excellent in his small sample size with them last season. He notably posted two goals and five points in seven postseason games for the club. The Maple Leafs will be hoping that he continues to improve his production this season because of it. With that, developing into a more steady defenceman will be a primary goal for him. If he improves his all-around game this season, don’t be shocked if he gets some reps with the NHL club in 2023-24.
Nick Robertson
One of the most notable Maple Leafs roster cuts was Nick Robertson. The former top prospect was gunning for a bottom-six role on the team, but he ultimately fell short due to strong preseasons from Minten and Noah Gregor. Although this is a discouraging development for Robertson, this is still a crucial year for him, and it could impact his future with the Maple Leafs organization.
Robertson, 22, has dealt with serious injury trouble for multiple seasons in a row. Due to this, he has yet to play anything close to a full regular season since beginning his professional career started. During this past season, he played in only 15 games for the Maple Leafs, posting two goals and five points. He also got into two AHL games with the Marlies. Needless to say, all Maple Leafs fans will keep an eye on his health in 2023-24.
Moreover, a big question Robertson will need to answer is if he can take another step forward with his production. The 2019 second-round pick was once expected to be a future top-six forward at the NHL level, and it is not too late for him to turn things around with his development. Thus, if he lights up the AHL this season, we certainly could see him called up to the NHL squad fairly early into the season.
Nevertheless, it is going to be very interesting to see how this trio performs this season from here. Another Maple Leafs roster cut who also should be watched closely is Pontus Holmberg. He is a clear call-up candidate for when injuries arise.
