2026 Edmonton Oilers prospects rankings: #1 Isaac Howard

Howard is a scoring winger. Speedy and skilled, Howard’s primary contributions to any team will be his offence. His individual talents are evident, which made him a first-round pick in 2022.

Howard’s development

While his talent has always been evident, Howard has had his share of ups and downs since being drafted. Early in his collegiate career he struggled. A transfer to a stronger program and another year of development helped Howard to get back on track. In his last college season he won the Hobey Baker Award as NCAA MVP.

Last season saw Howard split time between the NHL and the AHL. While his NHL role and impact were both limited, he was undoubtedly a star scorer for the Bakersfield Condors. At 22 years old there is still time for Howard to grow, but many expect him to take on a full fledged NHL role this coming season.

Strengths and weaknesses

Howard’s strengths are fairly evident. His quick skating, a deceptive and dangerous shot, as well as enough playmaking chops to capitalize on the pressure his shooting creates. He has the overall quality to be dangerous with the puck.

That said, his play away from the puck might be an area worth focusing on. Howard might require linemates who can handle the dirty work, as well as control play. There is some hope that Howard can create off the rush, and thus survive as a more independent scorer, but this lack of dimension might make it hard for Howard to get a legitimate chance in a scoring role, especially if his offence hits a dry spell.

Opportunity for growth

Still, there has been some growth. Howard has begun to attack the middle of the ice more as a professional. He will need to navigate contested ice to extract as much offence as he can. Maintaining offence will play a huge role in his icetime, especially early in his career. His ability to find opportunities in the middle will be crucial to his NHL viability.

The situation at hand is vital as well. New Oilers Coach Mike Babcock creates a power vacuum for icetime. An injury to Matthew Savoie opens an opportunity in the top-six. The potential for Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to share a line might add a wrinkle as well. Given that Howard taking a step forward is entirely projection, the variance of outcomes for this coming season is wide.

Howard will not be alone in pushing for an NHL role either. Quinn Hutson and Viljami Marjala are both smaller forwards who scored at a similar pace to Howard in the AHL last season. Both Hutson and Marjala have more extensive roles on the penalty kill as well. Marjala has experience at centre, which might be a factor as well.

There is a lot of talent in Howard, just as there is a lot of pressure on him. Other players offer competition, but the Oilers championship aspirations do as well. Undoubtedly, Howard will be one of the key storylines of the preseason. Making a strong first impression with the new coaching staff will be paramount for establishing trust. Beyond the team’s scope, Howard was traded for Sam O’Reilly who will be pushing for a spot with the Tampa Bay Lightning this coming season.

The risk is that Howard might never be able to hold his own at the NHL level as a reliable scorer. The upside is that the Oilers have an affordable young scoring winger to add some dynamic offence. The Oilers do have a lot of depth, but Howard reaching his potential is among the biggest potential factors for the team’s fortunes this coming season.