BLOG: Howard feeling prepared to make jump to NHL next season

EDMONTON, AB – The 'Ikeman' cometh.

Forward Isaac 'Ike' Howard is excited to land his number one choice for potential NHL landing spots after being traded from the Tampa Bay Lightning to the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday and promptly signed to a three-year entry-level contract to begin his professional career next season.

“I'm super psyched. It's such an unreal opportunity,” Howard said over video call on Wednesday morning. “I'm grateful that Tampa was able to get this done, and I can't wait to get started. It’s such a cool place and I couldn't be happier.”

The Hobey Baker Award winner with Michigan State University last season as the NCAA’s top player with 26 goals and 26 assists in 37 games was preparing to return to the Spartans for his final year of college hockey in 2025-26 with no contract having been agreed between himself and the Lightning, who drafted him in the first round (31st overall) back in 2022.

Howard could’ve become a free agent at the end of his fourth NCAA season before being told on Tuesday night about his trade to Edmonton, who gave up another top prospect in centre Sam O’Reilly (who was drafted 32nd overall by the Oilers in 2024) to acquire his rights and immediately sign him to a three-year entry-level contract to begin his pro career in a Blue & Orange jersey during the 2025-26 campaign.

“It was definitely a unique time,” Howard said. “I was back at school, training to go back. Obviously, I knew there was a possibility of a trade. I didn't want to put all my chips in one basket, so I was here training while trying to be with the team and stay grounded.

“I found out maybe an hour before everyone else [about the trade], so it was a super cool moment. I met with Edmonton, and this was the spot I wanted to go to. It just checks all my boxes, and I knew if somehow it could happen, I would absolutely love it. When I found out, I was super pumped and couldn't be happier.”

The 21-year-old from Hudson, Wisc. feels NHL-ready after lighting up the NCAA and will have the chance to compete for a top-six role in the NHL next season alongside Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl, with his skillset and confidence as a fast and gifted goalscorer making him a perfect fit with the Oilers.

“Yeah, I think that's why I was so excited about this fit,” Howard said about potentially playing beside one of the two superstars. “I’ve watched every single Oilers playoff game the last couple of years. Just watching, it's so high-paced, skilled and fast. Work ethic comes first. That's kind of exactly my game, and I think that's why this could be such a great fit.”

After making the move from the University of Minnesota Duluth to Michigan State in 2023-24, the 21-year-old who wants his first name to be pronounced as 'Ike' over 'Isaac' put up eight goals and 28 assists in 36 games for the Green & White before exploding offensively the following year, winning the Hobey Baker Award with 26 goals, 26 assists and 52 points in 37 games and an average of 1.41 points per game.

Howard also goes by the nickname 'Iceman' from a combination of his name, deadly offensive ability with the puck and cool confidence away from the rink, having worn a white suit and USA belt buckle during the 2022 Draft when the Lightning took him 31st overall, followed by a memorable TV interview with ESPN'S Emily Kaplan where he called himself "the best-looking guy here."

"I just really tried to buy in," Howard said. "I thought I had a solid sophomore season. I thought I could've done much more in my junior year, and I tried to buy in and listen to the coaches about what I needed to work on. I think improving in areas away from the puck helped me this year to create more offensive chances. I think ultimately, just finding the back of the net, I had more of a scoring mentality this year."

Howard was the joint top scorer at the 2024 World Juniors, showing his natural goalscoring ability by helping lead the United States to a gold medal with seven goals (nine points) in seven games. He also had the opportunity to embed himself with Team USA for four games at the 2025 World Championships, recording one assist in four contests against heightened competition, with his confidence beaming for an opportunity to break through at the NHL level.

All that experience has Howard feeling confident he can make the jump to the NHL next season and fill a much-needed scoring role in Edmonton's top six.

"I've got a lot of buddies who've been in similar spots, and a handful playing in the NHL have made that jump," he said. "I got a cool opportunity at the World Championships this year to just be engraved in that kind of system of pro hockey, seeing how those guys act and stuff like that. So that was super valuable. It's obviously a lot to do with your mindset. It's going to be faster and stronger, and it's the league that everyone's goal is to get to and play in.

"A lot of it stems from a mindset and being confident in your abilities and just embracing it.

Along with his potential as a young and impactful scoring winger, Howard says that the energy he brings to the locker room is one of the many intangibles he can bring to the table immediately for an Oilers team that's made back-to-back trips to the Stanley Cup Final and has high ambitions to win it all next season.

"I'm just going to try and be myself," he said. I love the game. I have great passion. I think that's one thing that I do well is bring energy to practice and workouts, and I just love what I do. I believe that can rub off on people in a good way with positive energy around the rink and stuff like that, and obviously on the ice, using my speed, my shot and my IQ to do whatever I can to help the team. Hopefully, we'll be able to accomplish our collective goal."