#2 – Isaac Howard
(Voters: David Staples, Kurt Leavins, Jim Matheson, Ira Cooper).
The voting for #1 on our Top Prospects list was neck-and-neck, but in the end the highly touted Ike Howard finished #2.
A twenty-one-year-old from Hudson, Wisconsin, Howard is a solid 5’11 190 LBS. He is a left shot and is listed as a Left Winger.
Ike Howard was drafted thirty-first overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2022. He began his college career with the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs that winter, going 6-11-17 in 35 GP. He transferred to Michigan State for 2023-24 and that move paid off. He went 8-28-36 in 36 GP as a sophomore. Then, he took an even bigger step in 2024-25, when he exploded offensively…going 26-26-52 in 37 GP. In conference play, he added 16-17-33 in 24 GP. Howard was awarded the 2024-25 Big Ten Player of the Year and also the 2025 Hobey Baker Award winner.
Along the way Howard also enjoyed international exposure. He was 7-2-9 in 7 games at the 2024 World Junior Hockey Championships earning Gold. He also earned an assist in four games at Worlds, earning Gold again. Good, valuable developmental experience.
But Howard’s camp and Tampa Bay did not see eye-to-eye, and the player announced that he would not sign and instead would return to school. The Oilers subsequently acquired Howard from Tampa (in exchange for Sam O’Reilly, after apparently a tough negotiation) and almost immediately signed him to a three-year, entry-level contract in Oil Country. It comes with an annual cap hit of $950,000 (Puckpedia).
Here is what the scouts say:
Elite Prospects:
– “Howard’s skating stands out. Pushes his knees past his toes, engages his hips, and maintains his posture in tight, while deking, or on the backcheck. His top hand moves freely around his body, turning into incredible stickhandling displays. When handling, he’s scanning. Adjusts body positioning to get pressure on his back, then uses hesitations and changes of pace to slip around the check.”
Sports Forecaster:
– “He is also a good setup man who can make the tough plays in small spaces. Also, he is willing to attack the net. On the downside, he lacks both an elite shot and blazing speed”.
Dobber Prospects:
– “A gifted offensive winger with great puck skills and a quick release. Needs to get stronger but has top six upside at the NHL level”.
And EPR Rinkside:
“An offensive dynamo, Howard has a natural instinct for scoring”.
In short: he is a finisher. Something the Edmonton organization lacks, especially among its prospects. That is a mighty big check mark.
Other pluses:
-He is a guy who drives play. Howard has fairly quick boots and sees the play development well in front of him. He is also not the least bit shy about heading to the net.
-While not ‘huge” in stature, Howard has a strong center of gravity and plays in a very competitive fashion. He is difficult to knock off the puck.
-His NCAA career seems to suggest he is a volume shooter but also has a shot that could beat a goalie in that league from distance.
Where does he need work?
-NCAA to NHL is a big jump. How fast can he adjust against the best in the world?
-He is above average skater but not necessarily an elite one.
-His shot is a good, very accurate one at the NCAA level.
General observations:
-Most of his NCAA time was at 5v5 and on the Power Play. Very little PK experience. He seems like the player type that belongs in your top six. But some young players work their way into the NHL by playing bottom six and getting some extra TOI on the kill. That does not ‘feel like Ike.’
-He thrives off confidence, as most gifted goal scorers do. But that can sometimes be difficult to overcome if a player’s start in the NHL is a little quiet to begin with.
Projection:
-Quite possible Ike Howard sees Top six minutes with the Oilers right out of the gate. That is certainly where he will be ticketed for down the road. I would say a job of that description is his to lose in training camp. I could project 65 games and 30+
-But it is also possible that he first requires some time in the AHL finding his feet, his timing, Etc. That would certainly not be a crime, but it would be a bit of a setback…for player and team.
Next up…prospect #1 from the Cult of Hockey’s good friend Ira Cooper.
Now on Bluesky @kurtleavins.bsky.social. Also, find me on Threads @kleavins, Twitter @KurtLeavins, Instagram at LeavinsOnHockey, and Mastodon at KurtLeavins@mstdn.social.
This article is not AI generated.
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