The Most Important Piece in the Oilers Organization?

The Edmonton Oilers are blessed with elite talent. From Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl through to Evan Bouchard and Zach Hyman, the Oilers are a perennial Stanley Cup contender with these pieces alone. Goaltending has always been their kryptonite, and they seem to have a plan this season to tackle it: Frederik Andersen and Devon Levi will help insulate Tristan Jarry and provide both experience and youth to the position. However, every team needs youth throughout the lineup who can help carry the torch moving forward. With Matt Savoie, Colton Dach, Shakir Mukhamadullin, and Vasily Podkolzin, the Oilers are gathering some solid youth.

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One piece missing for the Oilers is a one-shot scorer. Draisaitl has his spot on the power play, where he is extremely deadly, but overall is more of a playmaker. Jack Roslovic last season was the closest thing the Oilers had to someone you could count on to finish a grade-A chance. This is where I think Isaac (Ike) Howard comes into play this season and beyond.

The Young Sniper

Howard is an extremely gifted one-shot scorer, and the Oilers paid a steep price to acquire him in Sam O’Reilly. O’Reilly had a fantastic season as an overager in the OHL, winning nearly every major award, though he was often competing against younger players.

Howard, meanwhile, dominated his rookie season in the AHL, recording 50 points in 47 games while passing every test put in front of him and showing notable improvement in his defensive play. He also appeared in 29 NHL games, registering five points but flashing his elite shot and ability to find open space.

In his final season of college, Howard won the Hobey Baker Award as the top player in the NCAA—no small feat, even if it has been somewhat overshadowed by O’Reilly’s recent success. Former Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch didn’t do Howard many favors, rarely giving him opportunities alongside top talent and limiting him to roughly 8–10 minutes of ice time per night. That could change this season under Mike Babcock.

Oilers Insider Suggests Howard Will Get A Long Look

Sports 1440’s Jason Gregor believes Howard is going to get a real shot this season. This is music to the ears of any Oilers fan who has been wanting to see more opportunities for youth. Not only can Howard play sniper, but he will get an opportunity to do it with two of the most gifted playmakers of all time in McDavid or Draisaitl. It’s quite possible Howard’s success will be key to the Oilers’ success.

There are rumors that the Oilers could be interested in Vladimir Tarasenko as a free agent. Tarasenko did score 23 goals last year, but the Oilers have tried this path before, blocking youth from getting opportunities and ultimately them leaving. (See Holloway/Broberg) Tarasenko would fill the role left by Roslovic, but it’s hard not to think that Howard might be ready for this opportunity, given his success this past season.

Why is Howard so Important?

The Oilers will need plenty of youth to succeed given their aging roster. Players like Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Mattias Ekholm are not getting any younger, and Draisaitl is already 30 (and will be 31 in October), with McDavid not far behind at 29. Good teams need young prospects to help carry the load, especially if that team wants any kind of long-term success.

Another reason Howard is so important is that he will be a key trade piece should the Oilers go big game hunting. Rumors of players like Kirill Marchenko, Alex DeBrincat, and Owen Tippett have run rampant, and any chance the Oilers have to acquire one of these players will require Howard being part of the package back. If the Oilers decide to add heavily to their top six, Howard is the key piece leaving. The Oilers may decide to go down this route, and I certainly don’t think it is the wrong move. However, Howard remains an extremely important piece that the Oilers should only give up if they are getting a genuine stud. They can’t afford to lose more top-end youth for a middle-of-the-pack player.

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