Easton Cowan enters Jim Hiller's first season in Toronto with a new contract comparable that could matter far sooner than expected.
Pittsburgh signed Ville Koivunen to an 8-year, $32,000,000 contract Thursday, locking the 23-year-old forward into a $4,000,000 annual cap hit before a potential NHL breakout.
That deal immediately gives Cowan's camp something to watch. Koivunen received long-term security despite producing 7 points across 39 NHL games last season.
Cowan has already built a stronger NHL statistical case. The 21-year-old recorded 11 goals and 29 points in 66 games during his rookie season with Toronto.
His year also included significant AHL success. Cowan produced 18 points in 22 playoff games as the Marlies finished their postseason run with the Calder Cup.
The decision facing Toronto isn't about paying Cowan today. It's about whether waiting for another jump in production could eventually make the price substantially higher.
-
Toronto's potential $30M+ deal is already raising major questions
Koivunen's contract is built around projection. Pittsburgh is betting that a $4,000,000 cap hit will become increasingly attractive if the young winger develops into a top-six regular.
That comparison gives Cowan's representatives an easy negotiating point. If Pittsburgh committed $32,000,000 before Koivunen established himself offensively in the NHL, Cowan can point toward his stronger early production.
Toronto also has a different contractual problem approaching. Long-term deals will become harder to stretch once new CBA limits reduce the maximum term available to players signing with their current clubs.
Waiting still carries benefits. The Maple Leafs can get another full season of Cowan under Hiller and learn whether his rookie production was the start of a bigger offensive climb.
But patience cuts both ways. A top-six promotion, stronger power-play deployment or a major scoring jump would give Cowan considerably more leverage at the negotiating table.
That's why Koivunen's deal matters even without immediate talks. Comparable contracts help establish the range, and Pittsburgh just attached a substantial commitment to a player with fewer NHL results.
Cowan now controls what happens next with his play. If his production takes another step, Toronto may look back at $4,000,000 as the type of price it could have secured before his value climbed.
Should Toronto try to sign Easton Cowan long term before his price rises?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Mike Babcock completes head-turning first decision as head coach involving Connor McDavid
