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Prospect Info: 2022 31st Overall Pick | LW Isaac Howard

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LastWordArmy

LastWordArmy

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Sep 11, 2011
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Isaac Howard is yet another high-end prospect who came up through the Shattuck St. Mary’s prep school. The left-winger from Hudson, Wisconsin had a big season with the United States National Team Development Program Under-18 squad. He put up 33 goals and 49 assists for 82 points in 60 games. Howard was also a key member of the U.S. squad at the IIHF Under-18 World Championships. He scored six goals and five assists for 11 points in just six tournament games. The performance helped the American team to a silver medal.

lastwordonsports.com

Isaac Howard Scouting Report: 2022 NHL Draft #17

Isaac Howard Scouting Report: Playing with the US NTDP, Howard is a bit undersized for a forward, but has a dynamic skill set.
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Sam Costintino:
12. Isaac Howard, LW, USNTDP: Another player with a strong end to the season, where he was seen buzzing all over the ice at the U18’s.
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Craig Button:
"Smart goal scorer. Shows up in the right places at the right times and he can finish. Puck is off his stick quickly and has the instincts of good goal scorers."

Projection: Second Line Scoring Winger
Comparable: Jeff Skinner
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SkatingHockey SenseCompetitivenessScoring TouchShot
3.5 / 54 / 54 / 54 / 53.5 / 5
 
His release is so fast, plays like Kucherov's wet dream with those wristers.

Very happy with the pick, and he is putting pressure on himself to perform with the post selection interview.
 
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Depending on who you talked to before the tournament, Howard is either a potential top 10 pick, or won't even be selected in the first round. Right now, it's leaning closer to the former, and it's still early days in Germany.

"One of the better goal-scorers in the draft," a scout said. "He can get creative, isn't afraid to shoot from just about anywhere. He's very tough in close, but gets good volume from the faceoff dots and the high slot, too."
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The NHL team that selects Howard is getting a player determined to score at any cost. Howard's release is among the best in the draft class. When he's really on his game, his all-out attack mode is a pain in the rear end to defend against. Howard's hands in close are also top-notch.

His 5-foot-10 frame isn't really a problem, but his decision-making when passing the puck can be a bit of a mixed bag. That's something he'll likely iron out when he heads to the University of Minnesota-Duluth in the NCAA next season. His defensive game is fine, but will need fine-tuning, and he's still missing some extra horsepower, too.

"His deficits are coachable," a scout said. "And that's intriguing. His draft position will be determined by how much work a given team needs to put into his game."
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There's a lot of hype for Howard, who has to be one of the tougher wingers to defend against. Even if you think you've got him covered by preventing him from getting too close to the net, he'll beat you with a deceptive shot. You can't leave him alone too long, either, because he finds open space as good as anyone. At times, you can see a little bit of Cole Caufield in him in the way he scores, just at a lower volume and with a bit more size.

Howard has a high ceiling, and you can never have enough scoring. His game away from the puck needs work, but he's someone scouts like and believe in.
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www.tampabay.com

Lightning select forward Isaac Howard in first round of NHL draft

The left wing played in the U.S. National Team Development Program, leading the under-18 team with 82 points in 60 games.
www.tampabay.com www.tampabay.com
“He’s a bolt,” Murray said. “He plays with our type of intensity. He wants to make a difference, he wants to score goals. He’s fast, but he’s also very quick in small-ice situations, so getting in and out of corners, getting to net-front, making plays quickly — he was a very good player for the U.S.-18 program over the last couple of years, and we’re really excited to have him.”
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The NHL’s central scouting notebook recognized Howard’s “high pace” and “burst of speed” with an ability “to be shifty with the puck using quick hands.” His “good offensive instincts” also drew attention, making him “a hard player to play against.”

“That’s what I bring to teams is, again, scoring goals … using my speed, my deceptiveness, my shiftiness,” Howard said. “So I think I’ll fit in perfect with Tampa.”
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Watch a couple of hours of Howard highlights and tell me he doesn’t have the best release in the organization, even better than Kucherov
 
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Drouin and Deangelo had talent but didn't work out - hopefully he is coachable and becomes an all round player a bit like Point with a better shot
 
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