Easton Cowan says the Toronto Maple Leafs are done being an afterthought, and training camp can't get here fast enough for him.
Speaking with OverDrive this week, Cowan didn't hold back about how eager he is to get back to Toronto after a long summer away.
He talked about the additions around him, the buzz building in the city, and a group that feels ready to show people what it actually has.
There's a buzz around Toronto, he said, adding everyone's excited and the team is looking to prove it once camp actually opens.
Cowan also pointed to his own summer work, saying he's gotten faster after putting in serious time with his power skating coach, Kathy.
The clip shows Cowan grinning through most of the interview, clearly not even trying to play it cool about how badly he wants the season back.
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That extra gear matters for a player trying to lock down a bigger role. Cowan put up 29 points over 66 games last season, with 11 goals and 18 assists.
Why Cowan's confidence lines up with Toronto's actual math
He finished at a minus-5 rating and chipped in 2 power play goals, numbers that suggest a player still finding his real NHL footing.
Toronto finished last season at 32-36-14, good for 78 points and 28th overall, nowhere close to matching the swagger Cowan is putting out publicly.
That gap is exactly why his comments carry weight. Confidence alone doesn't fix a season that bad, but it's a starting point somewhere.
Every team says it has a buzz in August. The real test is whether Cowan and this group can back it up once real games start counting.
Whether that extra step in his skating actually translates into more minutes and more offense is something training camp will answer soon enough.
Do you believe Easton Cowan that the Maple Leafs are actually a good team this season?
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