TORONTO — OK. So, what must young Easton Cowan, a standout in all three Toronto Maple Leafs pre-season games, do to make the cut?

“That’s a good question,” head coach Craig Berube stalled Thursday, before Cowan’s spin on the club’s “top” line helped power a 7-2 exhibition romp over a NHLer-heavy Montreal Canadiens lineup.

“I can’t answer that question. That’s a hypothetical question. I’d be putting him in a bad spot, us in a bad spot, everybody in a bad spot by saying what he has to do to make the team.

“Just keep playing right now. We’ll make decisions with time.”

Let’s read between the lines here.

After returning to junior after his first two camps, the 20-year-old desperately wants to be a Leaf. No one so ambitious dreams of being a Marlie.

The coach adores Cowan’s tenacity and be

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