Player Discussion Brett Howden

[Harbour Dog]

Kudos to Smitty, that's some good Mimico boy hockey, just went at the guy without a single regard for his body, and Tanev, he got the shoulder in there full force without cowering an inch at full speed. That was a remarkable play of wills among the two men. You have to shut your mind away from pain and consequence to not p***y out of that collison.

Checks out.

 

[nyr2k2]

I'm still not really a fan, but he's fine in a fourth line capacity. Anything more than that is too much for him.

He at least looks like he's an NHL player this year, though. Last year he really looked like he needed to go to the AHL.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Not sure what helped more....the fight by Howden or the human missile Smith on Tanev.

Neither of them did.

They came out flat and played even worse in the 2nd period than they did in the 1st.

They woke up for the 3rd. That was it.

 

[The Mouth]

Howden not a fan. People are trying to convince me his fight against Kapanen ignited the Rangers the other night. I'm not buying it.

 

[duhmetreE]

Howden not a fan. People are trying to convince me his fight against Kapanen ignited the Rangers the other night. I'm not buying it.

considering we had a horrendous 2nd period, no.

Arguably, Rooney scoring a meat and potatoes goal did

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Howden not a fan. People are trying to convince me his fight against Kapanen ignited the Rangers the other night. I'm not buying it.

I have been one of Howden's biggest critics, but this season he is definitely a better player. Granted, he isn't a top-6 player but in his 4th line role he no longer looks out of place.

Last season, I still felt he could benefit from a year in the AHL but this year, albeit a small sample size, he does not look to be floundering as much as he did in previous years.

Howden will never be a top-6 contributor but you need depth players as much as you need high-end skill players and Howden for now is a solid contributor in the 4th line role he is in, with a sporadic promotion in case of injuries.

I can live with that.

 

[Raspewtin]

I've been quite happy with Howden in a 4th line role

That's where he should be and not a second more, however.

 

[Vitto79]

I've been quite happy with Howden in a 4th line role

That's where he should be and not a second more, however.

hes 3rd line right now w Chytil out
The guy can PK I just wouldn’t waste a expansion roster protection spot for him but I’m afraid they will . Gauthier won’t get protected if he doesn’t start scoring

 

[CupSeeker]

has too hard a time staying on his feet. not sure if he will ever be strong enough on his skates to be effective in a grinder role and he will never score enough to be top nine. In other words, before this team intends to challenge for a cup, this is a player that needs to be pushed out.

 

[cwede]

when Tony out brings back Step, who wears 21?

 

[Zats Muccarello]

He's still so young, could easily carve out a solid bottom 6 career

 

[will1066]

Phone battery at 21%. It's a sign.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

when Tony out brings back Step, who wears 21?

Stepan back to no 57. Problem solved

 

[True Blue]

The Howden thing becomes interesting when all are healthy. In his role as a 4th liner, he has actually been pretty good this year. However, Rooney has been better and a much better center. Does he get moved to RW? Feels like a crowd.

 

[Brooklyn Rangers Fan]

The Howden thing becomes interesting when all are healthy. In his role as a 4th liner, he has actually been pretty good this year. However, Rooney has been better and a much better center. Does he get moved to RW? Feels like a crowd.

An interesting aspect to this question is that both Blackwell and Rooney are signed through next year at extremely affordable cap hits ($725K and $750K, respectively), whereas PDG is an UFA and Howden and Gauthier are both RFAs (without arb rights). Currently, it doesn't look like anyone is in line for a HUGE raise, but certainly you would expect all of them to make more. Does that factor into the team's thinking at all?

 

[True Blue]

An interesting aspect to this question is that both Blackwell and Rooney are signed through next year at extremely affordable cap hits ($725K and $750K, respectively), whereas PDG is an UFA and Howden and Gauthier are both RFAs (without arb rights). Currently, it doesn't look like anyone is in line for a HUGE raise, but certainly you would expect all of them to make more. Does that factor into the team's thinking at all?

None are going to make huge paydays, but it might. All are also still pretty young. In looking at the field, I would keep Rooney at 4C. Good size, plays big, kills penalties and wins face offs. After that, it should be open competition. I would think that not all of Howden, Gauthier or PDG would be back.

Funny, the Rangers went from no depth on the bottom 6, to suddenly being flush with it. Like others, it is up or out.

 

[Brooklyn Rangers Fan]

None are going to make huge paydays, but it might. All are also still pretty young. In looking at the field, I would keep Rooney at 4C. Good size, plays big, kills penalties and wins face offs. After that, it should be open competition. I would think that not all of Howden, Gauthier or PDG would be back.

Funny, the Rangers went from no depth on the bottom 6, to suddenly being flush with it. Like others, it is up or out.

Eh, I'm not 100% with you on this, TB. I think what they're flush in are capable but not particularly difference-making fourth liners/13th forwards. I don't think a contender has more than 1-2 Rooney/Blackwell/PDGs on it (and certainly not more than one playing regularly). The hope is that Howden, Lemiex, and/or Gauthier develops into more and don't just become more of the same – because then you've got 6 when you really only want those 1-2.

Howden looked really good to start the season as the 4th line center, but he's been flagging a bit in the 3rd line role, IMO. Lemieux shows flashes that makes you think he can be more (and people give him more rope because he's got "truculence"), but on balance the package has disappointed more than not for two seasons now. Gauthier's progression since he came back from his benching has been encouraging, but we need to see him settle into what he did last game and give us more of that, over a longer period of time.

I still have hope for Howden and Gauthier in particular, but I think we will see lots of turnover in this group between now and the start of the '22-'23 season. (Honestly, I'm at the point now with Lemieux where I hope they include him in a deal to a team that still thinks they can coax that productive 3rd line agitator out of him, because he's about to turn 25 and is only like 16 1/2 months from becoming somebody else's Rooney...)

 

[True Blue]

Eh, I'm not 100% with you on this, TB. I think what they're flush in are capable but not particularly difference-making fourth liners/13th forwards. I don't think a contender has more than 1-2 Rooney/Blackwell/PDGs on it (and certainly not more than one playing regularly). The hope is that Howden, Lemiex, and/or Gauthier develops into more and don't just become more of the same – because then you've got 6 when you really only want those 1-2.

Howden looked really good to start the season as the 4th line center, but he's been flagging a bit in the 3rd line role, IMO. Lemieux shows flashes that makes you think he can be more (and people give him more rope because he's got "truculence"), but on balance the package has disappointed more than not for two seasons now. Gauthier's progression since he came back from his benching has been encouraging, but we need to see him settle into what he did last game and give us more of that, over a longer period of time.

I still have hope for Howden and Gauthier in particular, but I think we will see lots of turnover in this group between now and the start of the '22-'23 season.

Point taken. I should have said 4th line riches.

That said, I think that from what I have seen of Lemieux and Rooney makes for a pretty good 2/3 of a line. Honestly, the other spot can be filled with PDG or Blackwell (based on what I have seen so far). MAYBE Gauthier is finding his game. If he is, he can be a very useful 3rd or 4th lien player.

For the third line, just waiting for Cuyelle & Berard to arrive. I will say that after Strome is gone, there will need to be a good third line center. From what I have seen, Howden ain't it. Nor is there one in the system that is reasonably close. Am thinking of a version of Kadri would be nice.

 

[CupSeeker]

Point taken. I should have said 4th line riches.

That said, I think that from what I have seen of Lemieux and Rooney makes for a pretty good 2/3 of a line. Honestly, the other spot can be filled with PDG or Blackwell (based on what I have seen so far). MAYBE Gauthier is finding his game. If he is, he can be a very useful 3rd or 4th lien player.

For the third line, just waiting for Cuyelle & Berard to arrive. I will say that after Strome is gone, there will need to be a good third line center. From what I have seen, Howden ain't it. Nor is there one in the system that is reasonably close. Am thinking of a version of Kadri would be nice.

Don't forget Barron.

 

[True Blue]

Don't forget Barron.

Yup. You are right. I did forget about him. But he is not a center, which is what the future 3rd line sorely needs.

I will say that there are players that I view to be solid 3rd line prospects in the pipeline. Cuyelle, Barron & Berard. And much like in the case of Schneider whose early play in Hartford makes me think the he will be in next year's camp looking for a spot, the same can be said for Cuyelle. And those two can do much to change the complexion of the team.

 

[FoxyClean]

At 2:58. Colin Stephenson begins to ask Brett the million dollar question: "What exactly do you do here?"

 

[savebyrichter94]

At 2:58. Colin Stephenson begins to ask Brett the million dollar question: "What exactly do you do here?"

 

[NYSPORTS]

I'm a fan of Howden and have been for a few years.

If he keeps progressing, you'll see that he's a smart and pretty versatile player. He can slide around in a lineup and not look out of place with grinders, in a shut down role, or in an offensive role. He's a very smart player who, not unlike Andersson, often knows where to be on the ice. As a result, he's not typically a highlight reel kind of player.

He's good on faceoffs and continues to grow in that area and I think his offensive ceiling is higher than most give him credit for. Not that I expect 30 goals and 65 points, but I don't think the 20+ goal and 50+ point range is out of the question down the road. I think he could be capable of playing on a second line someday, though the line is less important than what he brings to the table. If he's playing on an effective third line and posting the numbers I just mentioned, I don't think most people would lament about him not being on a second line.

The thing with Howden is that his game has grown a lot since being drafted. There's a tendency to still view him like it's 2016 and that's not quite accurate anymore. He's got a shot to be a core player, and I think that's what the Rangers envision as well. But there are going to be some growing pains, he's still young and frankly, he's still growing. There was this misconception that he was plowing over people in juniors and that's not entirely accurate. But give him a couple of years and I think added strength will enhance is game even further.

As for developing with the big club, I think he's one of those players who could be just fine starting in a bottom six role and working his way up. That doesn't necessarily work for all kids, but his game could be a good fit. I don't expect him to get 10 minutes every night, but I also think the Rangers are going to bring him a long progressively. Frankly, they don't need to be force feeding him minutes right now. I think this is the time to ease guys like Howden in, and lean on the likes of Zibanejad and Hayes to start the season. Let the former acclimate, and allow the latter to develop a rhythm or pulse to their games.

that’s a glass beyond half full imo. As he grows physically, etc.

He does have a little grit yet he can’t really enforce it. He’s a 22 year old in what seems to be a 17 year old body. He throws a body check and there is no power. It’s like a high school kid against men. Does he turn into a Fast? Idk, a goose egg for goals, not much offensively, physically overpowered on the boards, etc. He has a long way to go.

He looks like a Jack Hughes yet has a Justin Bieber gene rather than a hockey gene.

 

[Larrybiv]

None are going to make huge paydays, but it might. All are also still pretty young. In looking at the field, I would keep Rooney at 4C. Good size, plays big, kills penalties and wins face offs. After that, it should be open competition. I would think that not all of Howden, Gauthier or PDG would be back.

Funny, the Rangers went from no depth on the bottom 6, to suddenly being flush with it. Like others, it is up or out.

Think you're right. They all wont be. As much as I like PDG, and have been "hoping for" the light to turn on offensively for Howden, it just seems like he wont ever be anything more than he is.
OTH, Rooney waa great pick up (and reasonable contract) hate the word cheap......and GOAT has quite the potential to be a helluva lot better and more valuable than a 4th liner,me thinks. Cant take away Julien's size, strength and speed (at least not now), so all he has to do is be smarter, and get more involved using his body. He obviously has hands. Getting it all together he certainly is no worse than a 3rd liner, and dare I say he could someday be a 2nd liner paired with Chytil? Love that combo......again......"if". If they give up on him, some other team wil reap some good bennies.

 

[True Blue]

Think you're right. They all wont be. As much as I like PDG, and have been "hoping for" the light to turn on offensively for Howden, it just seems like he wont ever be anything more than he is.
OTH, Rooney waa great pick up (and reasonable contract) hate the word cheap......and GOAT has quite the potential to be a helluva lot better and more valuable than a 4th liner,me thinks. Cant take away Julien's size, strength and speed (at least not now), so all he has to do is be smarter, and get more involved using his body. He obviously has hands. Getting it all together he certainly is no worse than a 3rd liner, and dare I say he could someday be a 2nd liner paired with Chytil? Love that combo......again......"if". If they give up on him, some other team wil reap some good bennies.

I think that as players like PDG & Howden filter out, players like Rooney and Blackwell filter in.

Gauthier is very intriguing (we should probably just stick to discussing him in his own thread), but he really needs to be consistent a lot more. He has started to show some things (gasp.....signed of development....??) but needs to show a heck of a lot more before I can even think of him as a 3rd liner, let alone play with Chytil.