Edmonton Oilers forward Matt Savoie is injured and will miss training camp. With him likely beginning the year a step behind everyone, this opens the door for another young Oilers forward.
Isaac Howard is coming off a strong season in the AHL. The 22-year-old is ready to have more of an impact at the NHL level and is a key part of the Oilers’ future. Acquiring Howard came as a surprise for Oilers fans as the team shipped off prospect Sam O’Rielly in a one-for-one trade. He has now become the top prospect in the system and is looking to make a good first impression.
Dominant in college and the AHL
At one point, Howard was a seriously monitored top prospect. The Tampa Bay Lightning drafted him late in the first round of the 2022 NHL Draft. From there, Howard produced at a high level in college. His skill set really took off when he joined Michigan State University for the 2023–24 and 2024–25 seasons. In his first season, Howard scored 36 points in 36 games, highlighted by his team-leading 28 assists. The following year, Howard took it to a new level. The young forward scored 26 goals and 52 points in just 37 games. This helped Howard secure the Hobey Baker Award for being the top NCAA men’s ice hockey player.
After an unforgettable season with Michigan State, Howard made the jump to pro hockey. Last season, he split his time between the Oilers and the AHL Bakersfield Condors. With the Oilers, Howard only appeared in 29 games, scoring just five points. Clearly, that was a huge jump from where he was before, so it made sense to give him some time in the AHL. With the Condors, Howard was arguably the best player on the team. In 47 games, he scored 24 goals and 50 points, which was good for fourth on the team, with 20 or more fewer games played than the leaders.
With monitoring his growth and development to this point, there is no question that Howard deserves a shot with the big club to start the year.
Replacing Savoie
With Savoie injured, all eyes will be on Howard to start the season. At some points last season, Savoie got to play in the top-six alongside Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl. This easily helped the young forward produce, with one of his greatest moments coming in the final game of the regular season. Savoie scored his first career NHL hat trick, capping off a solid rookie season in the NHL. Unfortunately, he fell off in the playoffs, only recording one assist in the six-game series against the Ducks.
With Savoie out, one can expect that Howard will be in the top-six to begin the season. I feel like a second-line winger spot would be perfect for him, as it would take some pressure off to start. When he is ready, Howard could get a consistent spot alongside McDavid for good. On the first day of training camp, Howard appeared right where it was expected. He is the left winger of RNH and Hyman on the second line.
So if we are to read into lines on day one of #Oilers training camp, it appears the is the NHL group as of now is:
— Preston Hodgkinson (@NHLHodgkinson) September 17, 2026
Podkolzin-McDavid-Draisaitl
Howard-RNH-Hyman
Frederic-Dickinson-Kapanen
Joseph-Dach-Formenton
Shea-Bouchard
Walman-Murphy
Ekholm-Mukhamadullin
Will it stick?
As well as appearing on the second forward line, Howard has also been seen practicing with the first power play unit. This got a look-in in last night’s contest against the Winnipeg Jets. With that being said, it is key to take note that Hyman and Nugent-Hopkins were not playing in that game. So Howard could basically just be replacing one of them in preseason.
Isaac Howard is getting a look on PP1 with McDavid, Draisaitl, Podkolzin and Bouchard this morning.
— Janson Duench (@reporterJD) September 19, 2026
What to expect
I have high expectations for Howard going into the season. If he can secure a full-time role in the Oilers’ middle-six, I could absolutely see him posting a 50-point campaign. I think Howard could become an extremely important part of the roster if all goes well. We saw how important Savoie became down the stretch of last season, and I think Howard can have a similar impact.
Another key factor to track is the supposed injury to forward Jason Dickinson. He is known to be injury-prone and dealt with injuries in the playoffs of 2025. If he continues to be injured on a consistent basis, this could open up spots for both Savoie and Howard to be in the lineup full-time.
Overall, I think Howard brings a pleasant excitement to the team this year. I believe that all of the pressure to win takes away from prospects taking the next step, but maybe that can provide a boost of energy out of the gate. With all of the changes that the team has gone through, I think this will be a very interesting team to watch in the upcoming season.
What kind of impact do you think Howard will have on the Oilers?
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