Pair of prominent sports writers projecting two Leafs prospects on Team Canada
It's been quite some time since we last saw a Maple Leafs prospect make Canada's World Junior Team. In fact, you'd have to go all the way back to 2016 to find a Maple Leafs draft picks that played for Team Canada at the WJC Tournament. That year, it was Mitch Marner and Travis Dermott who got the call.
This doesn't mean that the Leafs have not been well-represented at these tournaments over the years. Quite the opposite, in fact. The Leafs have had an abundance of prospects suit up for the World Juniors, including Matthew Knies, Roni Hirvonen, Topi Niemela, the late Rodion Amirov and even Auston Matthews for their respective countries, and the list doesn't stop there.
Thankfully, Leaf fans won't have to divide their loyalties this year, as the organization's two top prospects, Fraser Minten and Easton Cowan, are projected to make the team, according to Corey Pronman and Scott Wheeler of The Athletic.
Minten and Cowan put on a clinic during the Traverse City Prospects Tournament and followed those performances up with tremendous showings at Leafs training camp, with Minten actually earning an opening night roster spot with the team. Since being sent back to Kamloops (WHL), a few weeks ago, Minten has put up 7 points in 6 games with his junior club.
Meanwhile, back East in London, Ontario, Easton Cowan is on a whole different level. Cowan has exploded onto the scene in his 3rd junior season, amassing 27 points in 16 games, and he's showing no signs of slowing down. While Cowan didn't earn a roster spot with the Leafs out of training camp, he's taken everything he has learned in camp and has applied it to his game at the junior level and is thriving because of it.
The official roster for Team Canada has not yet been selected, but Cowan and Minten certainly look like players who can help the team win. Now it's just a matter of continuing their strong play in hopes of being selected to represent Canada in Gothenburg, Sweden when tournament time rolls around later this year.
| POLL | ||
NOVEMBRE 21 | 295 ANSWERS Pair of prominent sports writers projecting two Leafs prospects on Team Canada Will Easton Cowan and Fraser Minten both make Team Canada out of World Junior Selection Camp? | ||
| Yes | 229 | 77.6 % |
| No, Minten only | 33 | 11.2 % |
| No, Cowan only | 33 | 11.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
