The 2025 World Juniors are underway, and although the Toronto Maple Leafs only have two prospects at the tournament, it’s been chock full of storylines whether you’re tuning in just for Leafs representation or truly love the tournament and the tradition behind it.
With Team Canada dropping a 3-2 shootout loss to Team Latvia in what’s easily one of the biggest upsets of the past couple of years, the Canadians are second place in Group A behind the United States. They will take on Germany on Sunday night and the United States on New Year’s Eve. While there’s not an arm’s length list of stories to link back to the Maple Leafs prospects, here are three takeaways from the Toronto side of things after three days at the tournament.
Shootout attempt be damned, Cowan has been fine
The Maple Leafs’ most recognizable name at the tournament is 2023 first-round pick Easton Cowan, who’s representing Team Canada at the tournament for the second year in a row, this year taking on more of an important role and playing top-line minutes alongside Winnipeg Jets prospect and Team Canada captain Brayden Yager. Cowan scored a goal on Boxing Day against Team Finland and added an assist to give him two points in two games for Canada, but he’s been criticized a little bit for his shootout attempt against Latvia on Friday night.
easton cowan’s shootout looks like me in NHL 14 pic.twitter.com/aeR6wYMTwa
— BAM (@schlaBAM) December 28, 2024
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On the one hand, it’s not a great look to come in with 25% of the speed you normally would in a shootout, hit the leg kick three times (like one might do in NHL 24, as the poster suggests), and get robbed. On the other hand, this was a move that Cowan has successfully used a number of times in junior and preseason. Besides, if you’re struggling to score goals against Latvia, your issues are greater than one guy attempting a non-traditional move in the shootout.
“Easton Cowan with the worst shootout attempt ever last night for Canada he’s horrible!”
– Non puck knowers pic.twitter.com/sJsuUtkatx
— Nealer (@Nealerrr) December 28, 2024
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At any rate, Cowan has an opportunity to step up for Canada in a big way from here on out, to silence his critics and make that shootout attempt nothing but an afterthought. And there’s no better time to do so than New Year’s Eve on the big stage.
Holinka is starting to make himself known
Cowan was already going to get lots of the attention at the World Juniors, not just because he’s a first-round pick, but because he’s suiting up for the host nation and playing for one of the most popular teams in the league from said nation. But Toronto’s other representative has been quietly enjoying a nice tournament for himself so far.
Miroslav Holinka was selected in the fifth round of the 2024 NHL Draft out of Czechia, and fans have been able to get to know him a little better as he crossed the Atlantic Ocean and began his North American hockey career with the Edmonton Oil Kings of the Western Hockey League (WHL). He has ten goals and 21 points in 23 games over there, but the 6-foot-1 centre has continued his production at the tournament level, also with a goal and an assist in two games so far.
Nice setup from Leafs pick Miroslav Holinka. Already 2 primary points for him at the world junior pic.twitter.com/rcEZKki4Ut
— Kyle Cushman (@Kyle_Cush) December 26, 2024
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Holinka’s instincts and hockey IQ are already pretty advanced for his age, having just turned 19, and it will be interesting to see how far his team is capable of going.
Team Canada snubs raising concerns
This one isn’t directly Leafs-related, but it’s worth talking about. Team Canada suffered a massive upset at last year’s tournament, being knocked out of the quarter-finals against Czechia despite their reputation for constantly medalling or at least making it into the semi-finals. While it’s too early to hit the panic button this year despite the loss to Latvia (or at all, considering, you know, these are teenagers), Canada’s roster selections have come into question after another somewhat uninspiring start.
A couple of the snubs include possible 2025 first-overall pick Michael Misa, Calgary Flames first-round pick defenceman Zayne Parekh, Washington Capitals second-round pick Andrew Cristall, who’s been lighting up the WHL this season, and goal-scorer Carson Rehkopf, who was on last year’s team but didn’t make the cut this season.
If you want to make it Leafs-related, there’s an argument to be made that 2023 seventh-round pick defenceman Noah Chadwick is among these snubs, but whether he was named or not doesn’t affect the greater issue that is the strategy this team adopted in selecting their players. It seems like they prioritized ‘role guys’ more so than just taking the best players available, and it’s starting to show through a little bit.
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