Edmonton Oilers Set to Call Up Top Prospect for NHL Debut

The Edmonton Oilers are likely to call up winger Isaac Howard, and he will make his NHL debut in Wednesday's season opener, The Athletic's Daniel Nugent-Bowman reports.

Howard, the Hobey Baker Award winner last season as college hockey's most valuable player, was obtained from the Tampa Bay Lightning in July for center prospect Sam O'Reilly after not coming to a contract agreement.

Howard staked his Hobey Baker claims as the catalyst behind the Big Ten winner Michigan State Spartans, with 26 goals and 52 points in 37 games.

The totals were third in the nation in goals and fifth in points, and said a lot about his non-stop motor, physicality, and offensive flair. Wherever the puck happened to be, Howard was normally in the vicinity. A two-way presence of equal strength has always characterized Howard's game.

With the U.S. National Team Development Program, he was a shutdown presence alongside stars such as Logan Cooley and Frank Nazar, yet still led the 2004-born group with 82 points in 60 games. He went on to be drafted 31st overall by Tampa Bay at the 2023 NHL Draft.

Howard kept on impressing in preseason, posting a goal and three assists in six games, tied for second in team scoring with Connor McDavid, Darnell Nurse, and Noah Philp. He'll now battle Andrew Mangiapane and Vasily Podkolzin for ice time on the left wing.

For Edmonton, opportunity comes knocking in this call-up. Howard's debut is both a reward for an excellent camp and a challenge to determine if his mix of energy, skill, and responsibility can translate at the NHL level.