The Oilers should start taking offers on Isaac Howard

The Edmonton Oilers have survived their early season injury woes. Actually they've done more than survive, they've won most of their games to date. The team is clicking on all cylinders, and with a number of notable players either just returned, or set to return, from injury, the immediate future looks bright. And with a number of notable names coming up in trade rumors with Edmonton as the destination, general manager Stan Bowman must be considering who might go the other way.

Isaac Howard is, to me, the ideal player to trade. He brings a mix of pedigree and potential that other teams could find attractive. He's also been somewhat stagnant as an Oiler, and a change of scenery might be just the thing for his development and career.

The positives

The 2025 Hobey Baker award winner, Howard was the best college player in North America. He also won a IIHF World Junior gold medal, scoring seven goals to lead that tournament in 2023-24. Howard has the sort of recent history that will make him an attractive potential asset. And as a restricted free agent with one more year left on his current deal, he'll be under club control for a while yet, another mark in his favour.

That contract is affordable too, Howard will earn $972,500 this season and next. With only 37 National Hockey League games played, it's far too early to say that Howard won't become a NHL regular, or a top six player. In fact, it seems likely that he will develop into something more complete, but if he's not going to be that player this year or next, then the Oilers have to consider trading away his future value.

The negatives

Like many young, offensively talented players, on deep teams, Howard finds himself in a reduced role, with relatively less skilled linemates. His defensive game isn't quite where it needs to be, and his offense comes in spurts. After a decent start to the season, managing 5 shots and an assist in his first three games, Howard has only added one more assist in the next five. He's slightly down in average icetime versus 2025-26, and he isn't being embarassed in scoring differential, even on the games that he's been quiet on offence.

But the longer the stretches between points get, the more head coach Mike Babcock has to consider Howard as the odd man out when veterans like Ryan Nugent-Hopkins return from injury, or as someone who sees the press box if a player like Quinn Hutson gets called up from the Bakersfield Condors.

The Oilers have a decent chance of looking like the losers of a Howard trade five years down the road, but the only thing that should matter to this roster is the Stanley Cup Playoffs, five months down the road.