Oilers’ Isaac Howard starts heat with AHL’s Bakersfield TORRors – Hockey Writers – Edmonton Raiders
The Ouders in Edmonton made waves of Offsuason when they decided to move a young kid in Isaac Howard, getting the Lightning of Tampa Bay when they traded for Sam O’reilly. As the winner of the Hobey Baker Award Winwelert, Howard expected more during the 2025-25 season, but it seemed that the Oilers are willing to be patient with him as he is familiar with the level of hockey.
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Howard made the olealers’ night-to-night, but it was clear from the start that he had some issues that he needed to clean up before he could become a permanent fixture in their lineup. He played 17 games with the Oilers, scoring two goals and adding one three-point assist, before being traded to the Bakersfield Conts of the American Hockey League (AHL).
Before joining the Oilers, Howard was drafted by the Lightning in the first round of the 31st NHL draft, in the United States Hockey League, where he scored 26 assists for 37 points.
He joined the University of Minnesota-Dluluth for the 2022223 season, where he scored six goals and added 11 assists for 17 points in 17 games. After that he will transfer to Michigan State University, where over the next two seasons, he played in 73 games, scored 73 goals and added 34 goals and added 54 assists for 78 points, saving more than the average per game.
In the 2024 U20 World Junior Championship, he scored seven goals and added two assists for nine points in seven games. In the 2024-25 season, he won the Hobey Baker Award, which is given to the best hockey player in the NCAA.
Howard’s AHL Debut Turns Heads
Some fans can catch the use of Howard at the NHL level from Olers head coach Kris Knoblauch, considering that he had little ice cream time and was used as the fourth player for his stint before being sent down. He certainly took a step back, and it was clear that his confidence was lacking, so the stint in the children did not hurt him, and allowed him to improve his game. In all likelihood, he gets called up later in the season.
From the moment I got down to the receivers, Howard was nothing short of either end of the ice. In two games, he scored two goals and added two assists for four points, maintaining an impressive two points – per game average.
Obviously, it’s still early in his campaign, and the Oilers’ main goal is to continue to allow him to grow as he works his way back to the NHL level. His defensive game appears to be the main thing the League wants him to work on before he gets a chance to play for the Oilers again, but his hot start should make heads turn.
We’ll see if he can continue to improve his game on the edge of the ice and eventually become a top-six forward who wants him to be fat. Howard has proven over the past seasons that he can be a difference maker in terms of offensive production, so if he continues to put up points and dominate the AHL, the Olers won’t be picking up any time soon.
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