The Edmonton Oilers may have seemingly run out of patience with a former top prospect, Isaac Howard.
That’s not hyperbole.
The club once saw the Hobey Baker winner as a potential linemate for either Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl. However, things have not gone too well for the talented winger, landing him on The Athletic’s latest trade list.
In an October 17 piece, The Athletic’s staff looked at potential under-the-radar trade candidates for every NHL club. And for Edmonton, Howard emerged as the likeliest piece to be on the way out.
Oilers beat reporter Jason Duench summed up the rationale by stating that the club just can’t afford to wait for Howard to hit his ceiling while the team chases a Stanley Cup.
“Oilers general manager Stan Bowman has something to lose with Howard. Acquired from Tampa Bay for prospect Sam O’Reilly, the 2025 Hobey Baker winner entered the season with top-six hopes but is currently stuck on the fourth line. With several injured forwards nearing a return, Howard’s spot in the lineup is also in jeopardy. While the 22-year-old winger is skilled and hardworking and holds value on an entry-level contract, the win-now Oilers don’t have years to wait for an extended development.”
In other words, the Oilers could parlay a once-top prospect into a valuable trade chip. But it all depends on the target they’re after.
Oilers Would Likely Ship Howard to Rebuilding Team
The same rationale that has seemingly doomed Howard in Edmonton could apply to just about any other contending team. As such, if the Oilers are serious about dangling the former NCAA star, it’ll have to be in a deal with a rebuilding team.
Unless there’s a contender out there that’s looking to get rid of a contract, it’s tough to see a club like the Florida Panthers, Dallas Stars, or Colorado Avalanche taking a flyer on Howard.
That said, there might be some interesting pieces out there as clubs like the Philadelphia Flyers fall out of contention.
For instance, Owen Tippett had been a serious trade candidate for the Oilers last season. Could Howard entice the Flyers in a potential deal?
That’s just a supposition, of course. But it makes one think that if the Oilers are going to be looking to complement their lineup, Howard is the best piece they’ve got to do it.
Edmonton Is Hardly in the Business of Developing Prospects at This Point
One of the unfortunate realities of contending teams is that there is little time and patience to develop prospects.
While there’s a place for contenders to have a robust pipeline, the bottom line is that draft picks and prospects are commodities used to land complementary pieces.
That’s what Howard is to Edmonton at this point. Unless he can really cement a role for himself with the Oilers, it will be tough to see him displace other forwards on the team.
Ultimately, there is nothing to suggest that a deal is imminent. But as the season unfolds, the trade market should also shake out. And when the right deal comes along, the Oilers will try to position themselves as best they can.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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