The Oilers are healthy enough now that the conversation in Edmonton has shifted from surviving injuries to sorting out the roster. With key players either back already or close to returning, and trade chatter heating up around players who could come to Edmonton, general manager Stan Bowman has a simple question in front of him: who comes out if help comes in?
Isaac Howard looks like the obvious name to put on the table.
There’s plenty to like about his profile. Howard was the 2025 Hobey Baker winner, which made him the top college player in North America, and he also brought home World Junior gold after scoring seven goals to lead that 2023-24 tournament.
That kind of résumé carries weight around the league. So does his contract situation.
As a restricted free agent with one more year left on his current deal, he remains under club control for the near future, and he’s cheap at $972,500 this season and next.
That affordability matters, but so does the bigger picture. Howard has played only 37 NHL games, so nobody should rush to close the book on what he can become.
There’s still a strong chance he grows into something more complete, maybe even a regular, top-six kind of player. But if that step isn’t happening right away, Edmonton has to at least weigh the value of moving him while other teams still see upside.
The issue is what Howard is right now. He’s on a deep roster, which means fewer minutes and less gifted linemates.
His defensive play still needs work, and the offense has come in bursts rather than steady production. He opened the season with five shots and an assist in his first three games, then followed that with just one more assist over the next five.
His average ice time has slipped a bit from 2025-26, but he hasn’t been getting buried in scoring differential even when the points haven’t been there.
That said, the runway can shrink fast for a young player in that situation. If the dry spell keeps going, Mike Babcock will have to keep thinking about Howard as a possible odd man out once Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is back from injury, or as the player who gets squeezed if Quinn Hutson is called up from the Bakersfield Condors.
Edmonton could easily end up regretting a Howard trade years from now. But this team isn’t building for five years down the road. The only horizon that really matters here is the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and that’s five months away.
In Other News...
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For Edmonton, the ripple effect is hard to ignore because the Hurricanes game already left a mark on the blue line. Mattias Ekholm came out of that collision banged up and will be out at least a week, a reminder of how quickly one physical sequence can affect a contenders defensive rotation. With the Eastern playoff picture still shifting and other names like Brock Boeser feeding the rumor mill, the trade season is starting to feel a lot less theoretical. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Suddenly Have A Goalie Problem As Lineup Questions Grow
A routine practice day turned into a little bit of a reset for the Oilers, with the crease and the blue line both suddenly in flux. Goaltender Devon Levi did not skate, and while the team has not spelled out the extent of the issue, Edmonton is now preparing to bring in a backup netminder, with Matt Tomkins the likely call-up.
Mike Babcock also confirmed Tristan Jarry will get the start against the Toronto Maple Leafs, which gives the Oilers an immediate answer in net but leaves the bigger picture unsettled. Mattias Ekholms concussion only adds to the shuffle, forcing Edmonton to summon another defenseman and tinker with practice lines as the team tries to absorb a pair of important absences at once. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Injury Trouble Just Put Even More Pressure On Their Goalies
The early-season injury pileup in Edmonton is already stretching the roster, with Mattias Ekholm expected to miss at least a week after leaving a recent game hurt. On top of that, the Oilers are now having to adjust in goal, where Devon Levi is set to miss some time and the teams depth is being tested before the schedule can even settle in.
Tristan Jarry is lined up to take Levis place, which puts a bigger spotlight on a position the Oilers can ill afford to improvise around for long. With more questions than answers in the crease, Edmonton is also expected to reach into its depth chart for help, a reminder that the first month of the season can force teams into survival mode fast. [Read more 🡒]