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

[StammerHammer]

Too bad.

 

[RussianGuyovich]

Unfortunate, but it was a possibility. Now it's up to JBB to either have confidence that Howard will still sign when MSU is done next season, or if not 100% convinced, trade him now either by himself or this summer in a larger package deal perhaps.

This is supremely bad for the team if it goes down like this, but it will be nice that you won’t have to continue clutching your pearls about young players not playing the “right way” and being the “little subservient hockey Canada robot we all want them to be” like my drunk uncle at thanksgiving.

 

[Stelio Kontos]

This is supremely bad for the team if it goes down like this, but it will be nice that you won’t have to continue clutching your pearls about young players not playing the “right way” and being the “little subservient hockey Canada robot we all want them to be” like my drunk uncle at thanksgiving.

Coopers favorite type of player! Will score once in 15 games but at least he plays the right way

 

[Point21]

Seems like no bad blood and they just couldn't come to terms
Howard Returning to Michigan For Senior Season

 

[JTBF81]

This is supremely bad for the team if it goes down like this, but it will be nice that you won’t have to continue clutching your pearls about young players not playing the “right way” and being the “little subservient hockey Canada robot we all want them to be” like my drunk uncle at thanksgiving.

I never said anything about playing "the right way" or any of that other nonsense. It's only bad for the team if JBB gets no value for him should he walk to ufa next summer. Each player and situation is different. Unfortunately you were wrong in thinking Howard was some special case that would get whatever he wanted, but that's not how Tampa generally does business. No one knows either why he is choosing this path, so there's no conclusion to be drawn that it was either because Howard was demanding anything or that JBB refused.

 

[Master P]

Sure it would have been nice to sign him this year but according to reports there isn't any "bad blood".

So its totally possible he signs next year.

 

[Lightning1995]

Really no sugar coating it, this sucks. Big blow to an already thin system and certainly a miscalculation by JBB since Howard wasn’t dealt at the TDL.

 

[JTBF81]

Really no sugar coating it, this sucks. Big blow to an already thin system and certainly a miscalculation by JBB since Howard wasn’t dealt at the TDL.

Not really, provided both sides have had discussions and are in agreement that he'll sign next season. He may have wanted one more opportunity at a national championship, who knows? If JBB doesn't feel good about him signing after next season, there are plenty of trade avenues available as well. I highly doubt this has caught JBB by surprise, as he seems like one who plans ahead well with multiple contingency plans in place.

 

[Felonious Python]

Seems like no bad blood and they just couldn't come to terms
Howard Returning to Michigan For Senior Season

I'm not crazy about burning a year of his ELC, but I can't see how that would be a dealbreaker for TB. Once you actually get him signed, he's in the system as an RFA.

 

[DistantThunderRep]

Good for him for betting on himself. He basically binned a year of salary and bonuses from next year to completely gamble on him not regressing playing another year in uni.

 

[ccman68]

dude is a late first round pick not a superstar. if he thinks he's too good to play in the ahl he can f*** off

 

[LightningStrikes]

I don’t see the problem, just sign him next season. He was obviously not part of the plan this time around. According to reports there is no bad blood either.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Seems like no bad blood and they just couldn't come to terms
Howard Returning to Michigan For Senior Season

Pretty shitty that they didn't want him to at least get a game or two to end the regular season in the NHL. And if they did, but didn't have the cap space to sign him, that's a massive f***up by BriseBois and the front office. Pathetic

 

[RussianGuyovich]

I don’t see the problem, just sign him next season. He was obviously not part of the plan this time around. According to reports there is no bad blood either.

Make no mistake, JBB wanted to sign him. For whatever reason they didn’t agree. But it is not ideal to let a prospect get ever closer to FA as every day they could make a decision to go elsewhere.

 

[LTIR Trickery]

Everyone talks as if he didn't make a choice to go back, he probably wants another shot at a natty.

 

[Todd1a]

I wonder if JBB will trade his rights this summer? Now he can wait till August 2026 and sign with any team he wants

 

[Hockeyville USA]

If BriseBois doesn't trade his rights this summer, I wonder if the bridge was fully burned to the point where he wouldn't be interested in signing with Tampa in March/April 2026.

 

[Five Alarm Fire]

If BriseBois doesn't trade his rights this summer, I wonder if the bridge was fully burned to the point where he wouldn't be interested in signing with Tampa in March/April 2026.

I’m not keeping my hopes high. Barring injury, we’ll have a deep forward group next year as well. Contract stuff aside, we don’t offer him the most direct path to the NHL right now.

It’s a bummer, because he’s probably the most electric prospect we’ve had in years. To me, it feels like the day Drouin requested a trade.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

I’m not keeping my hopes high. Barring injury, we’ll have a deep forward group next year as well. Contract stuff aside, we don’t offer him the most direct path to the NHL right now.

It’s a bummer, because he’s probably the most electric prospect we’ve had in years. To me, it feels like the day Drouin requested a trade.

Should have kept a pathway open for him on the roster and in terms of cap

 

[Stammertime91]

Go watch Howard's draft and tell me... is the guy a frat boy or pro? Lol.

Dude wants another year in college and he's good enough to be on the cusp of being a pro... who gives a shit. Revisit it in a year and if JBB does fumble it, then it's bad. If not, I'd hold off the pessimism until then. We have Geekie and three other bottom six positions to fill by that time.

 

[Sky04]

I’m not keeping my hopes high. Barring injury, we’ll have a deep forward group next year as well. Contract stuff aside, we don’t offer him the most direct path to the NHL right now.

It’s a bummer, because he’s probably the most electric prospect we’ve had in years. To me, it feels like the day Drouin requested a trade.

Which says more about our pool than it does Howard, he's not a blue chip prospect by any means nor is he in the same stratosphere as Drouin was as a prospect.

 

[Rschmitz]

Unless Howard or JBB come out and openly say they intend to sign next year, he will be gone. Wishful thinking he won’t wait two months and sign with a team of his choosing

 

[JTBF81]

Unless Howard or JBB come out and openly say they intend to sign next year, he will be gone. Wishful thinking he won’t wait two months and sign with a team of his choosing

He may, but Tampa won't have his rights. JBB will trade him this summer at the draft if he believes Howard won't sign. At the latest, it would be at the deadline next year, but JBB would likely get more value at the draft imo.

 

[Zwui21]

Insane fumble.
Even if they don't agree on NHL time and the risk is to lose his rights for nothing next season, as a GM you agree to his terms and then trade him this summer.
If unsigned and going back to Michigan next season, his trade value drops.
Wonder if Glendening injury of tonight changes things tho.

 

[Sky04]

I don’t see the problem, just sign him next season. He was obviously not part of the plan this time around. According to reports there is no bad blood either.

We have our best team in years and are going for the cup, people are mad he didn't budget for a college player lmao. Oh sorry shouldn't have traded for Gourde so maybe Howard could get 3 games.