Isaac Howard is back with the Edmonton Oilers. Six weeks in Bakersfield, and now he has another chance.
The 21-year-old won the Hobey Baker Award last season at Michigan State – 26 goals and 26 assists in 37 games. Edmonton picked him up from Tampa Bay in July, signed him to a three-year contract and let him compete for a spot on the team.
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He played in 17 NHL games to start the season. Two goals and an assist. Not bad for a rookie from college hockey. But the Oilers needed more from their depth forwards, so he went to Bakersfield in mid-November.
“I was just excited to get there and start another chapter of my professional career,” Howard said. “And I think it was great. Everybody in that locker room was great. The coaching staff made it pretty easy to get this group integrated quickly. And you know, it was great.”
No one wants to be sent to the AHL. But Howard needed what Bakersfield could offer him: ice time, power play minutes and the space to experience professional hockey without the pressure of Connor McDavid looking over his shoulder (if that ever happened).
He scored 10 goals and 13 assists in 16 games. Two goals and four assists in his last four games alone. These are the numbers that make you remember.
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“It’s a great developmental league,” Howard said. “Obviously, I had a lot more playing time, a lot of looks on special teams, things like that, that’s what I wanted. And I think it’s a great league. And spending five or six weeks there was a great experience.”
More ice time meant playing instead of watching. More minutes on the power play meant working on his offensive instincts. Bakersfield gave him what he couldn’t get in Edmonton: consistent minutes where he could make mistakes and learn from them.
“I feel like I have more experience now and maybe more calm in the future,” Howard said.
More experienced. More calm. Six weeks will be enough when you dominate the AHL and figure out what works.
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“I think what was important was just being in the flow of professional hockey there and playing games consistently,” Howard said. “I learned to hang on to the puck more, discover my game more and make little plays, passes, shots, (be) calmer with the puck and maybe even more confident.”
This is what the AHL is supposed to do. Howard went down, realized he needed to be more patient with the puck, worked on it and came back better. Development works exactly as it should.
Quinn Hutson found it with 19 goals and 13 assists in 26 AHL games this season. Both players earned their recall by producing.
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Now comes the tricky part. Howard won’t play 18-20 minutes a night like he did in Bakersfield. He’ll be one of the bottom six forwards with 8-12 minutes, trying to make things happen in shorter bursts. It’s a different skill.
“It’s different,” Howard said of NHL ice time. “That’s where you have to stay engaged, because you don’t benefit from the smooth flow of the game, but I think I’ll be better tested for that this time. And whatever the situation, I’ll be ready.”
He knows what to expect this time. First go-around, everything was new. Now he has experienced this. He spent six weeks in Bakersfield figuring things out.
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The Oilers don’t need Howard to be a star. They need him to be a useful forward. Play his minutes. Don’t hurt the team. Participate offensively when the opportunity presents itself. If he learns to be smarter with the puck and stay calm under pressure, he’ll have a chance to stick around.
His first stint showed that he belonged at this level: two goals in 17 games from a youngster who is not first in the general ranking prove it. His time in Bakersfield showed that he can dominate when given the chance: 23 points in 16 games prove it. Now his second stint will show if he’s figured out how to bridge the gap between those two things.
Howard was recalled Friday because he deserved it. He went to Bakersfield, worked on his game, put up his numbers and came back ready. That’s how it’s supposed to work. The next question is whether that will translate to NHL success, but he’s done everything well so far.
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