Mike Babcock didn’t dodge it: Isaac Howard should have played more.
After the Oilers’ last game, Babcock said the young winger was shortchanged on ice time and that he addressed it directly with Howard. The message, according to Babcock, was simple and blunt: “you never let a coach be mentally tougher than you.” He also told Howard that “you decide where you’re going.”
Babcock made it clear he likes what he sees from the player, too. He called Howard a good player who’s “going to be a really good one,” and pointed to a shot off the bar plus a strong play in the slot as examples of what stood out.
The challenge for Howard only gets tougher from here. Edmonton is getting healthier, with Nugent-Hopkins set to return Thursday and Hyman already back in the mix.
Babcock’s stance is straightforward: “if they’re good enough, they’ll play.” Howard remains in the lineup on the fourth line with Dach and Frederic, but his trade value is real, which means his name will keep surfacing in upgrade talk if the role doesn’t grow.
On the trade front, Elliotte Friedman added another layer to the Hurricanes’ pursuit of Mikko Rantanen. The night Carolina landed Rantanen, Friedman said the Hurricanes were also deep in talks with Vancouver on Elias Pettersson - and he believed that one might get done first.
Instead, Carolina told both teams it was time and asked for the best offer. Colorado came through, Vancouver reportedly did not, and the Hurricanes moved ahead with Rantanen.
Friedman used that story to make a larger point about how Eric Tulsky operates. When Carolina says it’s time to make a deal, other teams need to be prepared. He brought it up while discussing the Hurricanes’ interest in Connor Hellebuyck, leaving the broader question hanging: have Winnipeg and the other suitors learned from Vancouver’s miss?
In Pittsburgh, the news was far less dramatic than it first looked. Ben Kindel’s collapse on the team plane turned out to be a vasovagal episode, a temporary loss of consciousness tied to a sudden drop in heart rate and blood pressure.
Kyle Dubas said Kindel regained consciousness after receiving oxygen, which is why the plane returned to Salt Lake City before he was cleared to continue on to Pittsburgh. He’s now back at the rink for treatment and more testing, and the Penguins are placing him on injured reserve.
Dubas also said the team will use “very strict guidelines” before Kindel returns to training or game action, because his health comes first. Kindel has two goals and two assists in nine games this season.
In Other News...
Canucks Just Added More Fuel To The Elias Pettersson Debate
The trade-deadline buzz around Elias Pettersson got a little louder after Elliotte Friedman reported that Carolina was seriously working both sides of the board on the same night it landed Mikko Rantanen from Colorado. According to the report, the Hurricanes asked both the Avalanche and the Canucks for their best offers, then ultimately moved on the Rantanen path while continuing to sort through options at the top of the market.
For Vancouver, it is another reminder that Pettersson was part of the conversation when Carolina was hunting for a major addition, even if nothing came together. It also says something about how Hurricanes GM Eric Tulsky operated in those negotiations, pushing hard for value and keeping multiple doors open before deciding which one to walk through. [Read more 🡒]
Conor Garland Is Giving Canucks Fans An Early Answer On That Trade
Conor Garlands move out of Vancouver was supposed to give both sides a cleaner reset after a down season, but the early returns in Columbus have not offered much clarity. The winger arrived with a six-year contract attached, and the Blue Jackets have been looking for a way to get more out of him while the club has also been dealing with a losing start and ongoing issues on special teams.
Head coach Rick Bowness has not hidden his frustration with the teams overall play, though he has recently sounded a bit less sharp in public. Even so, the Blue Jackets are still searching for the right fit for Garland, whose game has not settled into a consistent groove as the season has gotten underway. The longer that search drags on, the more this trade starts to look like one the Canucks will keep an eye on. [Read more 🡒]
Canucks Open Red Wings Series With Something To Prove
The Canucks head into their series with Detroit carrying a little extra edge, and not just because the standings have turned every point into a small event. The last meeting between these teams offered a reminder of how quickly the Red Wings can tilt a game when they get the first break, and Vancouver will have a chance to answer back with a different look this time around.
There is plenty of context wrapped around this one, from the recent history between the clubs to the way the matchup has been framed on the broadcast side and in the box score archives. For the Canucks, the bigger question is whether they can turn a familiar opponent into a statement opportunity, especially with a result from early January still hanging in the background. [Read more 🡒]