For the Edmonton Oilers, the coming season is not only about chasing another deep play -off run – it is also about carefully developing the next wave of talent. Connor McDavid must show that talent that the future of the team is here. Isaac Howard is among those prospects that are crucial for the comfort level of McDavid.
Howard, the 20-year-old winger who was taken over this summer in an exchange of the Tampa Bay lightning, arrives with offensive benefit, a great release and some warts defensive. He wants to learn and has enough to prove. That is why Allan Mitchell of athletics Adjust him to suppress him to one of the two experienced oils that can take Howard and show him the ropes.
Nugent-Hopkins and Henrique should accompany Howard this season
Howard’s ability to score has praised scouts and coaches. His attacking instincts in transition and around the net suggest that he could push 20 goals and 40 points during his Rookie season if he gets time in the top six of the oilers. That said, the knock on his game is that his defensive consciousness remains a work in progress.
Unfortunately, because the effort is so high for the oilers this season, a costly error can mean that a new chance of the Stanley Cup is missed and possibly losing the best player in the world if McDavid does not see the oilers as trending in the right direction.
This does not mean that the season depends on Howard’s success. Yet finding the right support system will be crucial for him.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, the longest serving oil trip and one of the best two-way contracts in the team. He has not only proven that he can score (he has a 104-point season on his NHL-CV), but he is a player who has made a career by supplementing high-venle wing players while he uses heavy defensive matchups. He plays on the Power play and the penalty murder, and he is the man you want on the ice on the ice on the ice or when defending a pipe.
Nugent-Hopkins is the type of player who should want to emulate Howard when it comes to learning to play both sides of the ice. If it is placed on the same line, Howard on his wing could give the rookie a safety net.
Another option is veteran Adam Henrique, whose versatility and two -way reliability made him a valuable deadline a few seasons ago. The oilers signed him again last summer and he has one last year about his deal. His role on the oilers this season may not be in the top nine, but helping to develop a player with the top-six potential is an important task that Henrique can do.
His ability to win draws and suppress opposition opportunities would give Howard someone to learn from.
Howard will have to learn this season immediately. There are no two better attackers to set him up than Ngentent-Hopkins and Henrique. Howard has the talent to add another dimension to his game and these two have the skill and leadership option to get it out of him.
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