As the Edmonton Oilers hit the road for back-to-back games against the Seattle Kraken and Vancouver Canucks, the team is giving rookie forward Isaac “Ike” Howard a big shot. Howard will be placed next to Connor McDavid on the team’s top line. Head coach Kris Knoblauch confirmed Friday that Howard would start there, saying he has earned the opportunity with his recent play and apparent growth over the past few games.
Knoblauch didn’t mince his words when he said Howard gave up the puck too often early in the season. Now that he knows the speed a little better and adapts to the competition, Howard has made serious strides.
Knoblauch emphasized that he talks to young players about playing different positions, but he doesn’t want to overwhelm Howard. Taking the winger to the next level isn’t about changing his style. “Because he’s so young and his style of play … it’s often best to just let him play,” the coach said. “We put him there because he plays pretty good hockey. We don’t want him to do anything else.” Howard echoed that sentiment: “No pressure from the coach or anything like that. It’s just playing pretty much the same game… really nothing else is different.” Whether he’s on the fourth or first line, Howard believes he’ll get opportunities because he plays a certain type of game, just a better version of it as time goes on.
For Howard, he sees getting this opportunity as a confidence booster. “It’s great,” he said. “As a young player you can only ask for an opportunity. I just try to play my game, keep working hard and build on that.”
As for what he plans to do, the game plan seems simple enough: Trust McDavid’s elite play. “He’s the best player in the world. He plays with so much pace. I just try to be open – he’ll find me,” Howard said.
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