On July 8, the Edmonton Oilers acquired Isaac Howard from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for forward prospect Sam O’Reilly. Howard is more NHL-ready than O’Reilly and is further along in his development, so this move made sense for both parties. He was clearly not in Tampa Bay’s plan this season, and would’ve spent his senior year in college if he hadn’t been dealt to Edmonton. But that doesn’t mean he’s a lock to be on the opening night roster or spend the entire season in the NHL.
The 21-year-old won the Hobey Baker Award last season as the top collegiate player in the nation after an impressive 26 goals and 52 points in 37 games with Michigan State University. He has a quick and deceptive release and has the potential to be an impactful goalscorer at the NHL level. He was drafted 31st overall in 2022, so he wasn’t a top-10 pick looking to break into the league immediately. Individuals like Howard require time to develop and gain experience by playing in a professional environment. While he could probably have a solid role in the NHL now, it might be smart to send him to the Bakersfield Condors of the American Hockey League (AHL) for a brief stint to work on his game.
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While he’s an offensively gifted player, his defensive game needs work, especially if he hopes to gain the trust of head coach Kris Knoblauch. As we saw last season, Knoblauch requires his players to be defensively responsible, or they won’t play. That was the case for Jeff Skinner during the previous season. The Oilers’ bench boss didn’t trust him in the defensive zone, and as a result, he was healthy-scratched 10 times and averaged a career-low 13:00 of ice time. That can’t happen with Howard. He must have solid playing time to develop properly, and if he won’t get that in the NHL, an AHL stint is beneficial.
He should be put in a position to succeed, which includes playing with skilled players who will give him the puck in dangerous areas, which allows him to utilize his greatest strength: his shot. In Sunday’s practice (Oct. 5), Howard was on the fourth line with Adam Henrique and David Tomasek. While that line has potential, he should play with more offensive playmakers, like Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Matt Savoie, especially if Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid are linemates.
Howard Is Entering His First Professional Season
Howard is entering his first professional season, so it’s important to be patient with him. There’s no guarantee that he’ll be impactful from the onset. The NHL is a significant increase to the college competition he faced, so there will be a learning curve, and mistakes will happen. The question is, do you want him to make those mistakes in the NHL? Or would he be better off learning from them in the AHL? The concern is whether Knoblauch will let him play through his mistakes if he’s on the team, or if his ice time will be reduced as a result.
Oilers Shouldn’t Rush His Development
The Oilers should take the same approach with Howard that they did with Savoie last season. Savoie spent the campaign in the AHL and was productive, recording 19 goals and 54 points in 66 games. Now, he’s more mature and had a great camp because of it. He’s ready to produce and be a contributing factor in this forward group. The organization took its time with him since he was acquired in July 2024, and it’s paying off.
Howard entered training camp with a lot of fanfare, and there’s significant hype surrounding him. Despite that, the Oilers shouldn’t feel obligated to rush him to the big leagues if he’s not ready, even though the organization lost some key pieces this offseason.
The Wisconsin native could use some seasoning in the AHL to gain confidence playing 20 minutes a night, playing against older players. He needs to work on his defensive game and board play if he hopes to have sustained success in the NHL. He doesn’t have to spend an entire season in the AHL like Savoie did, but 30 to 40 games in the minors would do him good.
If he’s on the opening night roster, don’t be surprised if he gets sent down if he struggles early on. Keep following The Hockey Writers for all your NHL content throughout the season.
