The Maple Leafs are catching heat for how they’re handling one of their most promising young talents.
Former NHL head coach Bruce Boudreau didn’t hold back on "Leafs Morning Take" Tuesday, taking aim at Toronto’s treatment of Easton Cowan.
The young forward got just 8 minutes and 23 seconds of ice time in Monday’s game against the Flyers. That’s after spending a month watching from the press box.
"If you can’t play a young kid for 12 minutes a game, he’s gotta go somewhere else because he’s not developing there," Boudreau said.
It’s a particularly sensitive issue given Cowan’s impressive resume. He’s already a Memorial Cup champion and was dominating the OHL before his call-up.
Boudreau, who’s coached over 1,000 NHL games, believes this limited playing time is actually hurting Cowan’s development. When young players get such little ice time, he explained, they’re just skating on eggshells.
"They go out there worried about making a mistake on every shift," he said. "That’s no way to build confidence."
The situation has left many wondering why the Leafs would keep a top prospect around just to have him riding the bench. Especially when he could be getting valuable playing time elsewhere.
