
Fantasy Summary
A gifted offensive winger with great puck skills and a quick release. Needs to get stronger but has top-six upside at the NHL level.
Observations
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April 2025 – The Tampa Bay Lightning will not be signing their 2022 first-round pick as Howard plans to return to Michigan State University for his senior season in 2025-26, opening the door for his signing rights to expire in August 2026. Howard was named Big Ten Player of the Year in 2024-25 and won the 2025 Hobey Baker Award after leading Michigan State in scoring and was fifth in the NCAA with 52 points (26 goals and 26 assists) in 37 games. Mark Henry
January 2025 – Howard has continued the NCAA season with Michigan State, and saying he has adjusted well is an understatement. Currently leading the entire NCAA in points with 33, Howard has figured out how to score consistently. His 18 goals in 22 games are better than his first two seasons, where he put up 14 goals in 71 games! Even with goalscoring taking a significant leap, his playmaking hasn’t seen any decline. If Howard was not on your radar before, he should be now. Likely to sign his ELC after the season, it is not impossible that he could play with the Lightning as soon as next season. Markus Kalmar
July 2024 – After a mediocre first NCAA season playing for the University of Minnesota Duluth, Isaac transferred to Michigan State. In his second NCAA campaign, now with Michigan State, he led the team in points, helping them make a Quarter Finals appearance. Howard took a big step in his playmaking game with a team-leading 28 assists. While his playmaking has shone, his scoring seemingly took a backseat. Suiting up for Team USA at the World Juniors, he tied Jonathan Lekkerimäki for most goals in the tournament, putting any fears about scoring to rest. Development is progressing as hoped, and at a continued pace, he should not have an issue becoming a top-six player. Going into this season, Howard could have a shot at making the NHL roster this year, but odds are he’ll spend at least one more year in the NCAA. His long-term projection remains unchanged, and he should have no problems making the NHL in due time. Markus Roach
July 2022 – The Tampa Bay Lightning selected Howard with the 31st overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. Nick Richard
December 2021 – Howard spent most of last season with the U17 team and lit up the scoreboard with 27 goals and 27 assists in just 34 games. His exceptional play earned him 17 games with the U18 team, and he scored above a point per game. He has carried that over as a full-time member of the U18 team this season and leads the team in scoring through the early part of the season. Nick Richard
September 2021 – After two years lighting it up at Minnesota’s renowned Shattuck St. Mary’s, “Ike” Howard spent the 2020-21 season with the USNTDP U17 and U18 teams before participating in the U18 World Championships. The USA was knocked out in the tournament’s quarterfinals, but Howard had four points through five games. Howard posted stellar numbers with the U17s, scoring 27 goals and 27 assists in 34 games. His play was good enough to earn a call-up to the U18 team for the remainder of the season, where he saw continued success. Tallying another five goals and 14 assists for 19 points in 17 games, Howard capped off an explosive draft-1 season. Howard will play for the USNTDP’s U18 team again in 2021-22 before beginning his collegiate career at Minnesota-Duluth in 2022-23.
Isaac Howard is another American player in this draft who will be looking to prove himself worthy of being a top-10 selection in the 2022 NHL draft. After a successful first year with the program, Howard will look to take another step forward this season, and there is no reason why he shouldn’t be able to. Howard is a very offensively gifted winger and offers a well-rounded skillset that makes him supremely dangerous. He is a strong skater with a significant first step, displays good agility, and loves to drive at the opposition. He offers excellent playmaking skills and poses a scoring threat each time he has the puck. Howard does well in using his puck skills to open up shooting lanes or change the shooting lane’s angle, making it difficult for him to get a read on. He has a shoot-first mentality but is not selfish and uses his vision and passing skills to find open teammates. He has good motor skills and is aggressive on the forecheck, and though he sometimes lacks intensity on his end, he does show good instincts and capabilities on defense. His puck skills are high-end, and he is not afraid to try creative dekes at full speed during play. His transitional play is impressive as he uses his speed and ability to read the ice, attacking weak areas to receive the puck or to allow other players to drift into the space he opened up. Howard is a dynamic offensive player with great speed and puck skills who has the potential to blossom into a productive first-line winger in the NHL. Alexander Annun
Stats
Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | TP | PIM | Playoffs | GP | G | A | TP | PIM | |
2013-2014 | Team Minnesota | Brick Invitational | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | | | ||||||
2018-2019 | Shattuck St. Mary's 14U AAA | 14U AAA | 53 | 49 | 29 | 78 | 6 | | | ||||||
Minnesota Blades U15 | WSI U15 | 8 | 9 | 4 | 13 | 2 | | | |||||||
MN Kings 15U AAA | MNBEL 14U | 14 | 17 | 14 | 31 | - | | | |||||||
2019-2020 | Team Royal | USA-S15 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 0 | | | ||||||
Shattuck St. Mary's 16U AAA | 16U AAA | 38 | 31 | 33 | 64 | 6 | | | |||||||
USA U16 | YOG | 4 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 4 | | | |||||||
2020-2021 | USNTDP Juniors | USHL | 28 | 16 | 17 | 33 | 4 | | | ||||||
U.S. National U17 Team | NTDP | 34 | 27 | 27 | 54 | 4 | | | |||||||
U.S. National U18 Team | NTDP | 17 | 5 | 14 | 19 | 0 | | | |||||||
USA U18 | WJC-18 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | | | |||||||
2021-2022 | USNTDP Juniors | USHL | 27 | 11 | 26 | 37 | 32 | | | ||||||
U.S. National U18 Team | NTDP | 60 | 33 | 49 | 82 | 42 | | | |||||||
USA U18 | WJC-18 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 2 | | | |||||||
2022-2023 | Univ. of Minnesota-Duluth | NCAA | 35 | 6 | 11 | 17 | 25 | | | ||||||
2023-2024 | Michigan State Univ. | NCAA | 36 | 8 | 28 | 36 | 10 | | | ||||||
USA U20 | WJC-20 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 9 | 0 | | | |||||||
2024-2025 | Michigan State Univ. | NCAA | 37 | 26 | 26 | 52 | 10 | | | ||||||
2025-2026 | Michigan State Univ. | NCAA | - | - | - | - | - | | |
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