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

We absolutely have to trade him now. Can't gamble on having this situation again next year and him walking for free.

What a f***ing fumble by JBB AGAIN. Please stop with the college players and draft good ole Canadian boys from here on out.
 
We have our 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.

Yes people are upset / worried that we could lose our 1st rd pick who is one of or the best in college hockey. What morons!!

Could have traded chaffee or Atkinson no?

Plan still could be go win natty and sign but this just enhances the risk esp when some team can promise him top 6 time
 
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If getting top 6 time is some expectation of his next year, then yeah, JBB should explore trade options. He might get some limited 3rd or 4th line time if he signs next season, but unless Tampa has been riddled with injuries, it seems very doubtful he's part of the top 6 next year either
 
If getting top 6 time is some expectation of his next year, then yeah, JBB should explore trade options. He might get some limited 3rd or 4th line time if he signs next season, but unless Tampa has been riddled with injuries, it seems very doubtful he's part of the top 6 next year either
But even if that's his ask for this season, I don't understand it.
Tell him yeah okay we'll give you a look as 2RW for 2 games, see what you got.
You sign him, then if things don't work (if he think he's bigger than the team, behavior issues, etc) you can still trade him. And if you trade him on a ELC you'll get a better return than if you trade his unsigned rights that expire in august 2026.

My perplexity on this story is that we aren't approaching this in order to extract the most value out of all this, whether it is by having Howard with us or by trading him away.
 
But even if that's his ask for this season, I don't understand it.
Tell him yeah okay we'll give you a look as 2RW for 2 games, see what you got.
You sign him, then if things don't work (if he think he's bigger than the team, behavior issues, etc) you can still trade him. And if you trade him on a ELC you'll get a better return than if you trade his unsigned rights that expire in august 2026.

My perplexity on this story is that we aren't approaching this in order to extract the most value out of all this, whether it is by having Howard with us or by trading him away.
BUT HE DOESN'T DESERVE IT
 
But even if that's his ask for this season, I don't understand it.
Tell him yeah okay we'll give you a look as 2RW for 2 games, see what you got.
You sign him, then if things don't work (if he think he's bigger than the team, behavior issues, etc) you can still trade him. And if you trade him on a ELC you'll get a better return than if you trade his unsigned rights that expire in august 2026.

My perplexity on this story is that we aren't approaching this in order to extract the most value out of all this, whether it is by having Howard with us or by trading him away.
JBB doesn’t want to burn a cost controlled contract year for a 2-game tryout is what I’m getting from all this. Plus Coop said we want home ice, no time for experiments. And Ike seems to want to return to MSU for another year anyway.

Maybe I’m dumb but why is this a fumble? They just amicably postponed contract negotiations to next season. Or is there a source clearly stating that he won’t look to sign with us?

If he has a down year we have more leverage. If he pops off we know we have to sign him at all cost so pretty much where we’d be at today.
 
JBB doesn’t want to burn a cost controlled contract year for a 2-game tryout is what I’m getting from all this. Plus Coop said we want home ice, no time for experiments. And Ike seems to want to return to MSU for another year anyway.

Maybe I’m dumb but why is this a fumble? They just amicably postponed contract negotiations to next season. Or is there a source clearly stating that he won’t look to sign with us?

If he has a down year we have more leverage. If he pops off we know we have to sign him at all cost so pretty much where we’d be at today.
By letting it get to this point without signing him to his ELC nor trading him at peak value at the deadline, the asset that is Howard and his rights has burned out some value. Of course, BriseBois can prove me wrong by getting him signed to his ELC last minute and get him in the lineup or pull off a great trade this offseason to acquire a young(ish) number 3 or 4 defenseman, but I'm not holding my breath.

Overall, it's just a bad look to not get one of your top 2 prospects signed. The only way people get over it in the short to medium term is a Cup win, and that's just not that likely based on simple percentages.
 
Yes people are upset / worried that we could lose our 1st rd pick who is one of or the best in college hockey. What morons!!

Could have traded chaffee or Atkinson no?

Plan still could be go win natty and sign but this just enhances the risk esp when some team can promise him top 6 time

I'd be more pumped that we're primed for another cup run with a deep team but hey let's worry about some mid prospect whos not even gone yet instead. Lots to playout, grilling JBB for prioritizing the NHL roster instead seems silly.

Why the hell would we trade Chaffee, who's the only bottom 6 forward who can score mid way through the season so maybe Howard can get a couple games in?
 
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JBB doesn’t want to burn a cost controlled contract year for a 2-game tryout is what I’m getting from all this
Not wanting to burn 1 year of an ELC and rather likely risk to lose an asset for nothing (or trading him for lesser value) is bad management of our assets.
The risk alone of having Howard not sign and walk to another franchise is dumb, especially when he's about to likely win the Hobey Baker and become the most sought after prospect if he gets to August 2026 unsigned.
And the main problem is that, if traded unsigned, no franchise would want to give up assets of value for a college kid that can decide not to sign with the franchise that trades for him.

The only two ways to get max value from him now is either to sign him to an ELC, or trade him to another franchise with whom he'd sign. If he actually goes back to college, half his value goes away and we are left with a bad assets management strategy that got us nowhere.
 
franchise looks bad when across the nhl NCAA players are getting ice time with their respective clubs (good and bad). hell, ovi took leonard out to a bar and the caps are a good team. our inflexibility can be misconstrued as disinterest to a young man. and all it takes is one linemate next season at MSU that convinces him to hold out for FA and sign together somewhere.

also as others have stated, we have already lost value since we didnt trade him at the deadline. poor management from JBB. f*** them first rounders, indeed
 
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.

I wouldn’t mind just getting the compensation pick if Howard comes out and says he just really wanted to play his senior year at MSU but intends to sign. If the option was nothing if he’s full of shit yeah adios, but at least there is that
 
franchise looks bad when across the nhl NCAA players are getting ice time with their respective clubs (good and bad). hell, ovi took leonard out to a bar and the caps are a good team. our inflexibility can be misconstrued as disinterest to a young man. and all it takes is one linemate next season at MSU that convinces him to hold out for FA and sign together somewhere.

also as others have stated, we have already lost value since we didnt trade him at the deadline. poor management from JBB. f*** them first rounders, indeed
This is also a good point.
All this story is turning out to be bad publicity for us in the eyes of all NCAA free agents (and future free agents).

And what bothers me the most in all this is that we still got a 2RW hole to fill, because Paul isn't a top6 player and Gage was doing good on the 3rd line. We got a possible fit, for free, that would complement well a line and could help with his scoring touch. And we decline?
Maddening honestly... unless there isn't soke other kind of explanation.
 
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This is also a good point.
All this story is turning out to be bad publicity for us in the eyes of all NCAA free agents (and future free agents).

And what bothers me the most in all this is that we still got a 2RW hole to fill, because Paul isn't a top6 player and Gage was doing good on the 3rd line. We got a possible fit, for free, that would complement well a line and could help with his scoring touch. And we decline?
Maddening honestly... unless there isn't soke other kind of explanation.
They didn't plan ahead of time to make sure they had cap space available.
 
I'm not really a 'multiple sides to every story' guy, but this is all coming out of Howard's camp. There may be some omission that would change the dynamic.

I don't think that burning a year is a big enough deal to shut a deal down. We give a little to get him into the organization, and then we expect him to sign a bridge deal later on. TB won't say things publicly, so they can't control the narrative.

It's possibly about the bonus money. If we threw some kind of record-breaking prorated AHL PTO or SPC at him, we could possibly get him in Syracuse right now, and a 3-year NHL ELC.

AI
Therefore, a player would need to sign a prorated deal with a full-season value of $1,920,000 to earn $100,000 in the last 10 days of the 2024-2025 AHL regular season.
...
Therefore, to collect $200,000 in the last 10 days of the regular season, a player would need to sign a prorated deal with a full-season value of $3,840,000.
 
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I'm not really a 'multiple sides to every story' guy, but this is all coming out of Howard's camp. There may be some omission that would change the dynamic.

I don't think that burning a year is a big enough deal to shut a deal down. We give a little to get him into the organization, and then we expect him to sign a bridge deal later on. TB won't say things publicly, so they can't control the narrative.

It's possibly about the bonus money. If we threw some kind of record-breaking prorated AHL PTO or SPC at him, we could possibly get him in Syracuse right now, and a 3-year NHL ELC.


AI
I think it's more about him wanting to get NHL games and money this year instead of being forced to ride the bus from Syracuse to Bridgeport, Utica, etc, where you make peanuts and eat cold subs. He went back to the NCAA to avoid playing in the A, that's why a ton of great to elite guys spend extra years in the NCAA
 
I think it's more about him wanting to get NHL games and money this year instead of being forced to ride the bus from Syracuse to Bridgeport, Utica, etc, where you make peanuts and eat cold subs. He went back to the NCAA to avoid playing in the A, that's why a ton of great to elite guys spend extra years in the NCAA
He makes, I dunno, maybe in the 100k range for NIL this season, another 100k for a 10-day AHL contract, and then he gets another 90k upfront when he signs his ELC.

The bus is waiting for him if he signs now, or he doesn't make the Lightning out of camp. Sheary and Geekie aren't too good for the bus.
 
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He makes, I dunno, maybe in the 100k range for NIL this season, another 100k for a 10-day AHL contract, and then he gets another 90k upfront when he signs his ELC.

The bus is waiting for him if he signs now, or he doesn't make the Lightning out of camp. Sheary and Geekie aren't too good for the bus.
Sheary sucks and Geekie needed to be sent down to regain confidence and get more puck touches against worse competition. 3 games of seeing where Howard is at doesn't tank the season.

In order to get high end NCAA route players signed, you need to guarantee NHL games. BriseBois f***ed up not planning ahead of time to make sure there was open cap space to get his number 1 or number 2 prospect (depending on where you ranked him) signed.
 
JBB doesn’t want to burn a cost controlled contract year for a 2-game tryout is what I’m getting from all this. Plus Coop said we want home ice, no time for experiments. And Ike seems to want to return to MSU for another year anyway.

Maybe I’m dumb but why is this a fumble? They just amicably postponed contract negotiations to next season. Or is there a source clearly stating that he won’t look to sign with us?

If he has a down year we have more leverage. If he pops off we know we have to sign him at all cost so pretty much where we’d be at today.
No player of his calibre and draft pedigree goes back for his last year. This didn't go the way either party wanted and I don't buy that there isn't bad blood now. He's as good as gone.
 
Sheary sucks and Geekie needed to be sent down to regain confidence and get more puck touches against worse competition. 3 games of seeing where Howard is at doesn't tank the season.

In order to get high end NCAA route players signed, you need to guarantee NHL games. BriseBois f***ed up not planning ahead of time to make sure there was open cap space to get his number 1 or number 2 prospect (depending on where you ranked him) signed.

According to a representative for Howard, he was looking to be part of the NHL team for its playoff run — not necessarily to play, but be available and with the team, similar to how most other high-end players of his ilk do it. Tampa, however, which is loaded with forwards under long-term deals, wasn't willing to bring him in right away and told him he'd be in Syracuse with the AHL team. That would keep Howard on his entry-level deal for three more years, instead of burning a year, a situation that is more financially favorable to the team.
His own rep says not necessarily to play (in the playoffs).

If we can leverage burning a year with getting a better bridge deal down the line, I don't see the big deal. If he wants cash now, we can get him a prorated AHL contract. I think I'm finding a salary cap loophole. Sign him for the last day of the AHL regular season for however much on a prorated deal, then the next day sign him to an ELC. He'd be getting way more than just the 92k signing bonus. He literally wouldn't even need to play.
 
Erik Erlendsson who's pretty looped in still doesn't seem extremely worried which I guess is a good sign? Hopefully this lights a fire under the lightning's ass to get something done.

Pretty f***ing bullshit that ncaa prospects have this much leverage, team invests all this time and money into these players and they can just threaten to not-sign if they don't get their red carpet rolled out for them.

What exactly have we invested, other than a draft pick?
 
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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.
Yeah I don't want us to lose an asset with upside but some of the handwringing and the expectations for this kid are out of whack.
 
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His own rep says not necessarily to play (in the playoffs).

If we can leverage burning a year with getting a better bridge deal down the line, I don't see the big deal. If he wants cash now, we can get him a prorated AHL contract. I think I'm finding a salary cap loophole. Sign him for the last day of the AHL regular season for however much on a prorated deal, then the next day sign him to an ELC. He'd be getting way more than just the 92k signing bonus. He literally wouldn't even need to play.
He doesn't want to spend a day in Syracuse if he doesn't have to. That's the reason he hasn't been signed to any sort of contract/ATO. He wants to be in Tampa
 

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