Coming in at No. 2 on the Edmonton Oilers 2025-26 top 10 prospects ranking, newly acquired winger Ike Howard.
Howard was originally drafted 31st Overall at the 2022 NHL Draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning, having been a standout player with the United States National Team Development Program.
After being drafted he went to the NCAA attending University of Minnesota-Duluth as a Freshman where he had an underwhelming season scoring only 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) in 35 games.
He then moved to Michigan State University and it is with MSU that his career took off, scoring 36 points (eight goals, 28 assists) in 36 games his sophomore year and being a standout player at the 2024 World Junior Championships with USA, capturing gold.
This past year is where he pushed himself amongst the best prospects across the National Hockey League, recently ranking 19th amongst drafted prospects according to the NHL network. In 37 games he scored 26 goals and 26 assists for 52 points, capturing the Hobey Baker Award winner as the NCAA MVP.
After his incredible season, it became clear that himself and the Lightning were not going to come to terms on an entry-level contract (ELC) allowing the Oilers and general manager Stan Bowman to take advantage of the situation and acquire the scoring winger.
Future outlook
Heading into this season, it seems clear that Howard is NHL ready and likely will be given a spot within the top-nine for the Oilers -- unless recent rumours are to be believed. The team has went through plenty of turnover this summer, which exposes a spot for the young winger to fit into the everyday lineup.
He is an offensively gifted winger who possesses a good shot with a demonstrated ability to create plays, using his quick feet and high IQ to move the puck up the ice. He is not likely to be a star at the next level but he should be able to fill on an wing and produce well.
The Oilers being able to acquire Howard and lock him up for three-years on an ELC is great and if everything works out how it is expected, he will be able to provide incredible excess value to the club. The value of having players on cheap deals and producing at a legitimate NHL level cannot be overstated for a team that has to manage the cap well in a Stanley Cup contention window.
There is an outside chance that he starts the year with the Bakersfield Condors, the Oilers American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate but this seems unlikely, especially with the possibility of Zach Hyman sitting out to start the regular season.
However, there are many players auditioning to fill roles throughout the lineup and it will be dependent on how Howard plays and how the others play and the possible chemistry created over the coming weeks. The sheer amount of turnover provides a lot of uncertainty, which can be good or bad for some players.
NHL potential
Despite winning the Hobey Baker, Howard is not expected to become an NHL superstar like some may pin him as. Although he has definitely risen his stock, taking legitimate strides as a dual-threat scorer throughout his collegiate career, he is expected to be more of a complimentary scorer.
This is not a bad projection by any means, especially with the elite talent that the Oilers have, complimentary players like Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins have been able to amass 100-point seasons despite not being superstar players. Not to say Howard will amass 100 points in a single year but him being a solid top six scoring winger seems like a fair assessment.
If Howard is able to carve out a role playing alongside Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl, he could find himself being awarded a major pay raise at the conclusion of his ELC. This is especially true if he is one of the pieces that is able to capture a Stanley Cup and bring it back to the capital of Alberta.