Jared Cowen has been an interesting case since his arrival in the NHL.
He skated in the NHL as an 18-year-old, a rarity among defenders. He suffered major injuries and went through surgery as a young player. Now, he’s 24 and still has lots to prove at the NHL level. Time could be running out.
In his draft year, Cowen was among the best available defenders. Past two smooth skating swedes in Victor Hedman and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Jared Cowen was touted as one of the best. The Senators bought into the hype, and although it’s been well-documented that their real target was Nazem Kadri, the Senators settled, happily on Cowen at 9th overall.