Maple Leafs veteran John Tavares has stepped up to defend Easton Cowan as the young prospect faces backlash for his performance at the World Juniors Championship.

As the World Junior Championships continue, the semi-finals will be without Team Canada for the second consecutive year, after they were eliminated by Team Czechia in the quarterfinals .

One player receiving significant criticism is Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan. Expected to be one of Canada’s breakout stars in the tournament, Cowan fell short of expectations, registering just one goal and three points in five games.

Amid the public outrage, Maple Leafs veteran and former Canadian World Juniors standout John Tavares came to Cowan’s defense on Saturday, expressing his respect for the young forward.

As per Nick Barden on X:

“Love him as a kid and the type of skillset he has and the player he’s going to be. He’s going to be really good going forward.”

That’s high praise for Cowan, especially coming from Tavares, who led Canada to two gold medals in the tournament and was outstanding in both campaigns.

Tavares has been more outspoken than usual lately, as he also called out his own team last week, saying he believes the Maple Leafs haven’t played up to their full potential yet.

Tavares is in the midst of a career renaissance, currently averaging a point per game with 38 points in 38 games. He has also come up clutch in tight games, often leading the team to crucial victories.

Tonight, Tavares and the Maple Leafs will face off against the Boston Bruins, a matchup that promises to be a heated contest, as both teams have developed a fierce rivalry in recent seasons.

As for Cowan, he’ll now head back to London to hopefully elevate his game and help the Knights pursue another OHL Championship this season.