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

[Felonious Python]

You see, you don't want to let Howard burn a year of his ELC, and effectively make his contract a two-year deal when they could sign him a year from now, and because of his age, it has to be a two-year deal. Pushing his ELC to end a year later, with another year of development, probably isn't going to make a bridge deal cheaper.

Performance bonuses on ELCs create some uncertainty, but they only really matter in a best case scenario (for the player's performance).

End of this season, who cares. TB does require (theoretically) every player to do something at an NHL level, but that's the challenge for everyone joining. We can give him the full NHL camp, preseason, maybe even a few early regular season games, etc. If he isn't playing at an NHL level, then Syracuse. We'll have the video to back it up.

I also don't see playing his senior year and signing for some basement level NHL team to be betting on himself.

I don't see the harm in allowing Howard to pick his target production, if he thinks he's an NHLer, and agreeing that if he doesn't hit that within the time limit, then he's sent down.

 

[Felonious Python]

It does feel a bit like the Lightning are failing to meet the players where they're at.

Isaac Howard showed up to the draft in a white suit and big belt buckle. You're getting more Alex Ovechkin than Sidney Crosby. How much of his persona is real vs doing a bit doesn't really matter. He seems to like attention.

The coaches don't really care how we bring players in. Draft, free agency, trade. Spending time in the AHL isn't essential to the organization's culture. The bridge deal is.

If Howard wants to take a demanding approach (I'm really good, but make it easy for me), we should be able to match that. He'd literally be setting his own expectations. That's betting on yourself. Another year with Michigan State as the big man on campus probably isn't going to humble him like an NHL training camp, or an extensive pre-season campaign held in Orlando.

edit: we may see more Howards coming through hockey. The way college football and basketball players are venerated won't go unnoticed by the hockey players. With CHL guys, you can say that they play against children and be right.

 

[RussianGuyovich]

Football NIL is hyper f***ed. Lmao. If hockey ever gets that popular, I hope some agency is there to deal with this. Tennessee just lost its starting 5 star QB because the kid demanded a raise. Wants 4 Milly a year. And yeah: get that bag, kid. But the money is the fans and fans want some semblance of continuity.

 

[Felonious Python]

Football NIL is hyper f***ed. Lmao. If hockey ever gets that popular, I hope some agency is there to deal with this. Tennessee just lost its starting 5 star QB because the kid demanded a raise. Wants 4 Milly a year. And yeah: get that bag, kid. But the money is the fans and fans want some semblance of continuity.

I don't know who represents Howard, but college hockey players don't technically have agents. They have family advisors. They just also might happen to be an NHLPA certified agent as a side hustle. Gig work, essentially.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

It does feel a bit like the Lightning are failing to meet the players where they're at.

Isaac Howard showed up to the draft in a white suit and big belt buckle. You're getting more Alex Ovechkin than Sidney Crosby. How much of his persona is real vs doing a bit doesn't really matter. He seems to like attention.

The coaches don't really care how we bring players in. Draft, free agency, trade. Spending time in the AHL isn't essential to the organization's culture. The bridge deal is.

If Howard wants to take a demanding approach (I'm really good, but make it easy for me), we should be able to match that. He'd literally be setting his own expectations. That's betting on yourself. Another year with Michigan State as the big man on campus probably isn't going to humble him like an NHL training camp, or an extensive pre-season campaign held in Orlando.

edit: we may see more Howards coming through hockey. The way college football and basketball players are venerated won't go unnoticed by the hockey players. With CHL guys, you can say that they play against children and be right.

The Lightning are the 1st team to tell their Hobey Baker Award Winner prospect "Sign an ATO, we don't want you on an ELC to end the year." Woof

At least Colorado tried like hell to get Will Butcher signed & he just wanted to run out the clock to UFA.

 

[RussianGuyovich]

I don't know who represents Howard, but college hockey players don't technically have agents. They have family advisors. They just also might happen to be an NHLPA certified agent as a side hustle. Gig work, essentially.

I don’t mean agents, there needs to be a structured system. This Howard issue is also a failure of the system. Kids should be able to go from the Chl to the ahl at 18. Tear the system down and rebuild it, because too much has changed to remain the same.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

I don’t mean agents, there needs to be a structured system. This Howard issue is also a failure of the system. Kids should be able to go from the Chl to the ahl at 18. Tear the system down and rebuild it, because too much has changed to remain the same.

This won't happen. And with CHLers now NCAA eligible, you will have more NCAA route players who you'll have to sign.

 

[Rschmitz]

Where are we hearing that JBB wanted Howard to play a full three year ELC?

I'm on Howard's side if that's the case, and it's really bad asset management by JBB.

 

[Felonious Python]

I don’t mean agents, there needs to be a structured system. This Howard issue is also a failure of the system. Kids should be able to go from the Chl to the ahl at 18. Tear the system down and rebuild it, because too much has changed to remain the same.

The CHL needs the older players to be able to sell tickets.

As for ATOs, guys like Cole Caufield, Blake Geoffrion, Kevin Porter won the Hobey, signed their ELC, but were initially sent to the AHL.

Ryan Duncan signed an ATO after winning, but he was undrafted.

 

[StammerHammer]

It appears JBB doesn’t communicate with players and prospects enough. Ala Stamkos.

 

[AlwaysSunnyInTampa]

This won't happen. And with CHLers now NCAA eligible, you will have more NCAA route players who you'll have sign.

We might not be able to draft anyone again.

I can't wait for the day some kid we drafted from Moose Fart Saskatchewan tells JBB to get f***ed and runs out the clock at Denver University instead of the Prince Albert Raiders and has nowhere else to go but the AHL until he's 22 years old

 

[creg]

I just feel Howard is way overhyped here. Right now if he was in the nhl he would only be good on the powerplay and it’s not like he’s gonna take Kuch’s spot. Guys like Knies and Leonard can actually play in the bottom 6 so of course they were given a chance.

This is very true, players like Zeev, Perrault, & Leonard are ranked among the top 10 prospects in the league and are projected to be top 6/top pair D. Howard had a great season but there is a difference between being a top player/wining the baker in your D+2 season and your D+3 season.

Regardless it's difficult to speculate about the situation when we're only hearing from one side, who of course is going to make themselves look as good and flexible as possible. To me it feels like it has to be about playtime, I can't imagine a situation where JBB wouldn't burn a year if that was all it took. Hopefully we get more clarity in his post-season presser.

I do think that Howard would probably sign an ELC with a team he gets traded to if he get's guaranteed playing time.

 

[Felonious Python]

The 5D chess move would be for JBB to push the contract negotiation to the limit of the calendar, absolutely grinding the cap number down, but being unwilling to allow a year to burn. At the last minute, relent on burning the year, but getting the guy for the cheaper price. No time left to renegotiate.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

This is very true, players like Zeev, Perrault, & Leonard are ranked among the top 10 prospects in the league and are projected to be top 6/top pair D. Howard had a great season but there is a difference between being a top player/wining the baker in your D+2 season and your D+3 season.

Regardless it's difficult to speculate about the situation when we're only hearing from one side, who of course is going to make themselves look as good and flexible as possible. To me it feels like it has to be about playtime, I can't imagine a situation where JBB wouldn't burn a year if that was all it took. Hopefully we get more clarity in his post-season presser.

I do think that Howard would probably sign an ELC with a team he gets traded to if he get's guaranteed playing time.

Howard f***ed himself over, losing a full year of actual development by going to UMD (where Sandelin doesn't like most young offensively creative players). Howard rebuilt himself as a sophomore at Michigan State, and then exploded in his junior year for State.

I think he earned a standard ELC to end this year and play in 3-4 regular season games. If BriseBois didn't want to burn a year of the ELC and wanted to force him to sign an ATO to end the season in Syracuse, then that's pretty inflexible and pathetic, should have just traded Howard at the deadline if you weren't going to give him what every Tier 1 and upper Tier 2 level NCAA prospect gets.

 

[creg]

Howard f***ed himself over, losing a full year of actual development by going to UMD (where Sandelin doesn't like most young offensively creative players). Howard rebuilt himself as a sophomore at Michigan State, and then exploded in his junior year for State.

I think he earned a standard ELC to end this year and play in 3-4 regular season games. If BriseBois didn't want to burn a year of the ELC and wanted to force him to sign an ATO to end the season in Syracuse, then that's pretty inflexible and pathetic, should have just traded Howard at the deadline if you weren't going to give him what every Tier 1 and upper Tier 2 level NCAA prospect gets.

I guess I'd like to think that JBB would be willing to burn a year if that's what it took to get him signed, to me this seems a lot more about next year than this year. But again, it's all speculation.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

I just feel Howard is way overhyped here. Right now if he was in the nhl he would only be good on the powerplay and it’s not like he’s gonna take Kuch’s spot. Guys like Knies and Leonard can actually play in the bottom 6 so of course they were given a chance.

If he's so overyhyped and not NHL ready, then BriseBois should have traded his rights at the deadline before an impasse became public.

All of the Howard supporters just wanted him to get a 3-4 game look to end the regular season. If he was good, awesome, give him more chances. If he was ass in his first 2 games, then you don't have to play him anymore.

Whether BriseBois can't manage cap space well enough to sign Howard to a standard ELC, nor was willing to trade him at the deadline, this is the result. It's starting to feel like BriseBois wasn't willing to give Howard an ELC to end this season and burn the year. Yikes

 

[Power Surge]

Any chance this can be repaired in the offseason?

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Any chance this can be repaired in the offseason?

If you wait longer and longer, greater and greater chances of him returning to State, which increases chances of him not signing & running out the clock to UFA

 

[Felonious Python]

Enough things aren't making sense that I just say let JBB cook.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Enough things aren't making sense that I just say let JBB cook.

The only way BriseBois can "cook" are:

1. Get Howard signed to an ELC as soon as possible.

2. Trade Howard's rights for a top 4 NHL ready defenseman.

I have serious doubts that either will happen at this point.

 

[Felonious Python]

The only way BriseBois can "cook" are:

1. Get Howard signed to an ELC as soon as possible.

2. Trade Howard's rights for a top 4 NHL ready defenseman.

I have serious doubts that either will happen at this point.

What's the advantage of getting him signed as soon as possible? We can still burn a year of his ELC. We've offered him a deal, and August 2026 is a long time from now...

 

[Hockeyville USA]

What's the advantage of getting him signed as soon as possible? We can still burn a year of his ELC. If not, he can sign for three years in the offseason, or stay at Michigan State for one more entire year.

Getting him signed ASAP prevents any more of this dramatic shitshow of a mess. If he goes back to State, he's much less likely to sign with us, his advisor will just advise him to run out the clock or wait till his rights get traded to a team that will give him NHL games right away and no ATO threats

 

[Felonious Python]

Getting him signed ASAP prevents any more of this dramatic shitshow of a mess. If he goes back to State, he's much less likely to sign with us, his advisor will just advise him to run out the clock or wait till his rights get traded to a team that will give him NHL games right away and no ATO threats

Has there ever been a CBA that's been signed ahead of time?

 

[AlwaysSunnyInTampa]

Any chance this can be repaired in the offseason?

Absolutely. It is completely up to JBB how he wants to proceed with Howard and every NCAA prospect we draft going forward. Ike's agent and the entire locker room will tell the kid to let this go and win a Cup by this day next year if we don't trade him by then

 

[The Macho King]

One of the other Hobey Baker finalists.
... i agree Bill, I agree.

Smh I hate this story, can't believe we fumble things when we finally have a highly skilled prospect ready.

Man if only we had the sustained success of *checks notes* The Minnesota Wild.