They are quite literally asking him for a trial period in the AHL where he would be making less than 1/10th what he would in the big leagues.
Speculation: Isaac Howard & Tampa's Cap Crunch
- Thread starter JKG33
- Start date
This is a terrible read of the situation, kid has all the leverage in the world. Tampa doesn’t want to play nice, they lose their prized first rounder for nothing. Makes no sense to piss off your top prospect over small potatoes. Not to mention the bad goodwill with prospects going forward if their org/GM want to have a track record of this kind of thing.
Better players is your opinion, not fact. He wants an opportunity, Tampa isn’t willing to offer him that. Good for him. Hope other GMs learn.
It's really hard to argue that Howard, right now, is a better hockey player than Kucherov, Point, Guentzel, Cirelli, Hagel, Paul, Gourde, Bjorkstrand (now injured), Goncalves or Geekie. And he's not a player that suits a 4th line role; nobody's sending Howard along with Girgensons to take defensive zone faceoffs and grind for a few shifts.
While I don't really blame Howard for looking out for his best interests, I also think the hype around those late-season NCAA ELCs has become a bit ridiculous. Another thing that Leonard, Perreault and Snuggerud have in common is that they've all been largely underwhelming in the handful of games they've played. And I don't hold it against them; obviously it's damn hard to parachute onto an NHL team without the benefit of an offseason of preparation, training camp or any pro hockey experience. It's all a nice little routine teams put up with so they can get these guys' rights locked in, but it's obvious that their play doesn't warrant the icetime they've been getting. And I can't blame Tampa for being reluctant to send a guy like Goncalves, who's worked his ass off in the AHL for years to become a good player, down just so that Howard can have his little pat on the head. I figure they see maintaining their organizational culture as more important than hanging on to Howard, and I can't say they're wrong.
He would have an opportunity at training camp to make the team so I don’t know what you are talking about.
Just feels like a little flexibility or awareness from each side could’ve made this totally avoidable.
From the team side - just give him the burnable first year. Sign him on a deal where the clock starts immediately. It’s what every top level blue chipper out of the NCAA gets. Let him start the clock and stick him in a couple end of the season regular season games. Yeah, you don’t have to give him that and yeah you don’t have to pamper or him or treat him special with that burn year or certain bonuses or some game time. But you drafted with one of the few 1st round picks you’ve kept over the years. He’s developed extremely well. If you belive in your pick and your prospect - just give him the kind of incentives every other guy is getting.
For the player…A) you’re not playing playoff games for the Tampa Bay Lightning this year, if that’s something you were wanting. Forget about it. But it sounds like you don’t even think there is a path this fall. To that, I’d say…really? I can’t think of a more appealing situation. A Cup contending team that is always fighting with depth issues and the cap who rolled out some pretty decrepit wingers during the course of this season and could always use secondary and tertiary scoring? Sounds like a dream. Yeah, maybe you won’t get top six time right away - but show up to camp and play well and guess what…an injury here or there and suddenly you aren’t just in a top six, you’re sweeping up goals from guys like Kucherov and company. And I certainly don’t think in the long run, if you are as good as you think, you have to be afraid of losing out to guys like Goncalves. You’ll start behind him, because that’s the process and he’s earned his spot (after much patience)…but are you not an elite first round Hobey Baker winning player?
From the team side - just give him the burnable first year. Sign him on a deal where the clock starts immediately. It’s what every top level blue chipper out of the NCAA gets. Let him start the clock and stick him in a couple end of the season regular season games. Yeah, you don’t have to give him that and yeah you don’t have to pamper or him or treat him special with that burn year or certain bonuses or some game time. But you drafted with one of the few 1st round picks you’ve kept over the years. He’s developed extremely well. If you belive in your pick and your prospect - just give him the kind of incentives every other guy is getting.
For the player…A) you’re not playing playoff games for the Tampa Bay Lightning this year, if that’s something you were wanting. Forget about it. But it sounds like you don’t even think there is a path this fall. To that, I’d say…really? I can’t think of a more appealing situation. A Cup contending team that is always fighting with depth issues and the cap who rolled out some pretty decrepit wingers during the course of this season and could always use secondary and tertiary scoring? Sounds like a dream. Yeah, maybe you won’t get top six time right away - but show up to camp and play well and guess what…an injury here or there and suddenly you aren’t just in a top six, you’re sweeping up goals from guys like Kucherov and company. And I certainly don’t think in the long run, if you are as good as you think, you have to be afraid of losing out to guys like Goncalves. You’ll start behind him, because that’s the process and he’s earned his spot (after much patience)…but are you not an elite first round Hobey Baker winning player?
LTIR Trickery
Plz stop pucks
Theres no "trial", its a contract. You don't play without a contract. They're asking him (allegedly) to play in a deep playoff run with the crunch and come to camp next season to take the next step. AHL salary is what it is, you can still negotiate signing bonuses. If you're going to boohoo the money thats fine and I get it, but he'll still be capped in what he can earn on his ELC wherever he goes, so i'd presume its more about the minutes than the money.
Ultimately if he thinks he has no chance on this roster, hes probably right and they should trade his rights. I would personally prefer to try to work my way into a more successful team, learn from people, but i'm also not 21 with people throwing six and seven figure numbers at me. I think he is incredibly talented and it'll suck to have to lose him, but I do still have questions with how long it will take him to adjust to the physical game due to his size.
They want him to sign an Amateur Try-Out for the rest of the season so as not to burn a year of his ELC
TheDawnOfANewTage
Dahlin, it’ll all be fine
- Dec 17, 2018
- 12,244
- 21,412
He doesn't have all the leverage. I say it's still 50/50. For one Tampa will not lose him for nothing if they walk him to free agency since he was a 1st round pick they would get the 31st pick of the 2nd round. Tampa also can decide to trade him to any team they want, it can be one with just as deep a forward pool to block him or somewhere he really doesn't want to go. Also Tampa keeping his rights blocks him from going to the NHL to at least the 26-27 season and he seems like he wants to be there now. He's going to be delaying his debut and chances to get a bigger payday after his ELC.
Yep, and while some GM's will be more than happy to sign a young blue chip prospect if he were available, I also think many GM's will see him as a kid who could be difficult to deal with as he doesn't want to compete for ice time.
pucksindeep92
Registered User
- Jun 19, 2023
- 169
- 466
Ya know if it helps, Boston will gladly take Howard off your hands, Tampa. Geekie too while we are at it.
But that’s not what he wants, he wants an opportunity now, or the org runs the risk of losing him for having no faith in him. He’s earned it. Just a bad look and bad asset management all around from Tampa. He’s available, he wants to help the playoff push, Tampa doesn’t. Understandable he’s using his options.
DesertPenguin
Registered User
- Apr 22, 2015
- 3,189
- 2,167
This reads like the Rutger McGroarty situation all over again, and as a Pens fan I'd be thrilled if it played out the same way, with a nearly NHL ready prospect being traded to the Pens.
You understand that’s bad business for Tampa right? Not many GMs are dumb enough to sully their orgs reputation like that. Maybe you think Tampa’s is? But Tampa has very very little leverage here.
creg
Registered User
- Mar 21, 2025
- 85
- 142
Such silly comments, Howard has literally not earned anything. He doesn't deserve a guaranteed spot on our roster next season because he had a good D+3 season, he can earn it through his play and if he doesn't want to then ship him out he doesn't fit anyway. I'm sure if it came down to it the lightning would burn the 1st year of the ELC but this seems to be a much broader issue with where he sees he fits in the team.
Also, I'm sure that the the perennial play off team's orgs reputation is going to be sullied because a B level prospect wasn't gifted a spot on a roster pushing for a cup the week after his college season ended just like the orgs reputation was sullied after we "treated Stamkos so horribly" (just don't look at the fact that we're still considered one of the most desirable places to play, live, & work with by both players, agents, & staff alike).
Earned what, exactly? To burn a year from his ELC? Yeah, probably. To be gifted a roster spot on a contender? f*** no. he hasn't. He hasn't played a second of pro hockey, and the Bolts aren't exactly hurting for undersized scoring wingers. They're not going to send down someone who actually has earned their spot just to make Howard feel special, right as they're about to enter the playoffs.
Yes it is (average weight of an NHL forward is 198 I think?). Regardless, Howard doesn't fit a need for Tampa. He's not gonna be on their first PP unit, he doesn't bring size/physicality (the one thing this forward corps actually lacks), he's not gonna be good defensively at this stage (especially since he'd need to learn their system from scratch). Zero chance they give him a spot as they're heading into the playoffs.
Now, if we were talking about next year's camp, that'd likely be a different story. Howard's dirt cheap cap hit would probably incentivize Brisebois to give him a shot, if only to make space to address other issues on the roster. But with two games left in the regular season? No way.
No prospect has earned a guaranteed roster spot straight out of college. If he can’t actually beat out other players head to head he doesn’t deserve it.
But they are not. That rule was negotiated and mutually agreed upon by players and owners.
Training camp starts after this season ends so I don’t know what you are talking about.
Um what? There's a handful of guys coming out of college right into an NHL lineup every April. Surely the hobey baker winner would be one of them
Users who are viewing this thread
Latest posts
-
GDT: Stanley Cup Playoffs | ROUND 1: GAME 3 | Leafs @ Sens | 7PM | CBC, SN, TVA (118 Viewers)
- Latest: BMOK33
-
GDT: Stanley Cup Playoffs | Round 1: Game 3 - Leafs @ Sens; Apr 24 7:00 p.m. EST (155 Viewers)- Latest: Stringer Bell
-
-
-
Series Talk: R1 (2025): Vegas (1st Pacific) vs Wild (WC1) | Series Tied 1-1 (4 Viewers)
- Latest: north21