Bio
Stats
Scouting Report
When putting these types of lists together there is always the pull between productivity and potential. The reason Isaac Howard is on the top of this list is his potential. Of all of the prospects in the Tampa Bay Lightning organization, he is the one that has the highest ceiling and can be a true gamebreaker. If we were to rank him solely on production since being drafted, his spot on the list would plummet drastically.
The 2022-23 season was not kind to Isaac Howard’s stat line. Coming off of a US National Development Team career where he lit up the scoreboard, Howard struggled to find his role in the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldog’s offense as a freshman. After finding the back of the net in his very first game, he went the next 18 without a goal. There was also a two-game suspension for crosschecking Wisconsin’s Corson Ceulemans well after a play.
By the end of the season he was on UMD’s fourth line (although with fellow NHL prospects Jack Smith and Cole Spicer) and he finished the season averaging about 14 minutes of ice time. To his credit, he hung in there and finished the season with four points in his last six games (2 goals, 2 assists). His on-ice discipline improved as well. Following the suspension he was only whistled for 3 minor penalties the rest of the season.
After the Bulldogs were eliminated he decided to enter the transfer portal and will suit up for Michigan State in the upcoming season. As he told The Tampa Bay Times,
“[Duluth] was kind of a more defensive-first, not the most-skilled team on the ice. And then kind of making the move to that Big Ten game [at Michigan State] to kind of just get back to my game a little bit more.”
A bit of adversity early in his collegiate career may not be the worst thing in the world for Howard. With all of the success he had as a youth, perhaps last season will serve as a wake-up call about the effort needed at the next level. He is still just 19 years-old and will likely spend the next two seasons at least at Michigan State. There is plenty of time for him to rediscover the scoring touch that propelled him into the first round. With the Spartans he’ll also have a familiar face coaching him as Howard’s NDTP head coach, Adam Nightingale, is the man behind the bench in East Lansing.
All of the skills that were highlighted in his previous Top 25 Under 25 write up are still there. He’s a gifted skater with a tremendous hockey IQ and vision on ice. His shot will play well at the pro level and despite his size he doesn’t mind heading to the front of the net.
Does he struggle a bit in the defensive zone? Yes, yes he does, but unlike most of the prospects that we’ve talked about over the last two months, he has the offensive game to outweigh his defensive play. He’ll have to get better in order to make it to, and stick, in the Lightning line-up, but they don’t need him to pick up Selke votes.
As the Lightning’s core top-six forwards begin to age out of the league, Howard is one of the few prospects in the system that can step into that role and flourish. He just needs to spend the next couple of years getting better and showing them that he can be a consistent player on a nightly basis.
Highlights
For the second straight year, Howard kicks off the season with a goal. Yes, it’s a 5-on-3, and it helps when the opposing center falls down, but it shows his top end speed and finishing ability.
A nifty pass to set up a goal for Frank Nazar at the World Junior Summer Showcase.
Howard makes a nice read after teammate Jack Smith forces a turnover. The pass wasn’t perfect, but Howard is able to take it without losing a stride and then converts nicely at the end for the goal.
A really nice touch on this cross-ice pass to Cole Spicer. Howard knew he had to get it over quickly as the open seam wouldn’t last long. The puck was right where Spicer needed it to whip it home.
The first goal of his collegiate career. He creeps into a productive spot and is there to clean things up.
