Young Edmonton Oilers winger Ike Howard is in position to make the NHL for good in 2026-27. With enough experience in the league to take a natural step forward as a player, Howard could earn minutes at even strength and on the power play due to his plus shot and creativity with the puck.

The Oilers have an established graduation program in place for skilled players coming into the system. Matt Savoie spent a season with the Bakersfield Condors, then followed it up by slowly increasing his role with the Oilers during 2025-26. The result was a young player positioned to take over as one of Connor McDavid’s wingers on the No. 1 line. Although Savoie may still have some work to do to succeed Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in the role as the captain’s defensive conscience, the die is cast, and the aging process will take care of the rest.

Howard is a natural fit for the second line, with Leon Draisaitl as his centre. Howard cashing those cherry passes from the big man has appeal, and winger Vasily Podkolzin also offers a range of skills that include some offensive gears. The line would be less reliant on Howard to play a strong defensive game, and his shooting ability would be a net positive.

Here are Howard’s bona fides and reasons why he’s an excellent fit, with one worrisome possible outcome worthy of mention.

Shooter

One of the key needs for Edmonton next season is a finisher for the second or third line and on the second power-play unit. Much of Howard’s NHL future rests on the ability to score goals.

YearLeagueShots-GameGoals

2022-23

NCHC

2

6 (8.6 pct)

2023-24

Big-10

3.1

8 (7.2 pct)

2024-25

Big-10

4.6

26 (15.4 pct)

2025-26

AHL

3.2

24 (15.9 pct)

Howard’s first two college seasons saw him post the numbers one would expect from a young scorer waiting for his opportunity to play a feature role. That opportunity arrived in his junior season, and Howard delivered both volume and accuracy. The most important information here comes from his AHL season. Howard didn’t find the step into pro hockey to be overwhelming. His shooting percentage was a match for his final college year, and his volume of shots was impressive for a rookie AHL player.

In the AHL, Howard improved markedly in his play away from the puck, while also being a high-quality offensive player at even strength and on the power play. If a strong AHL season as a rookie pro is the standard for elevation to the Oilers, Howard passed the test.

NHL level

Howard started the year in Edmonton, then shuttled back and forth between the minors and the NHL. In 29 games with the Oilers, he didn’t do enough to stay on the roster. He did show a hint of things to come in the final 10 days of October. In six games, he scored twice and had an assist at five-on-five (2.1 goals per 60 and 3.16 points per 60) with 6.3 shots per 60. Those are impressive numbers, made even more noticeable since he was playing on a line with one of Adam Henrique or Connor McDavid. In a three-game stretch from Oct. 21-25, his line went 1-1 goals (16:27 minutes with Henrique) and 2-2 goals (13 minutes with McDavid).  The audition didn’t last a long time, but Howard showed well enough to project him into the NHL with a little more experience.

The Oilers sent Howard back to the AHL for him to work on his play away from the puck. The math and scouting reports were positive from Bakersfield, setting the stage for the fall and a training camp that will include higher expectations from both player and team.

What else? 

The single biggest challenge for Howard at training camp may be convincing the new coach of his ability to play a responsible game. NHL coaches tend to be risk-averse, and it took an entire year to build rapport with former head coach Kris Knoblauch. On the other hand, the roster isn’t exactly teeming with goal-scoring wingers capable of cashing those Draisaitl passes.

The new coach might look at Howard’s AHL outscoring for clues about how much progress was made at the minor league level in 2026-27. Howard scored 17-19-36 at even strength in 47 games. His points per game at even strength (0.77) towered over other prospects like Quinn Hutson, Josh Samanski and Viljami Marjala.

The even-strength outscoring for the season (45-42, 52 percent) was slightly above Bakersfield’s goal share (51 percent) when Howard was off the ice.

Bottom line

The Oilers need scoring wingers, and Howard is ready. His entry-level deal means he’s a value contract, important to the team in building a championship roster.

On the other hand, the new coach will want players who can play responsibly without the puck. When Howard was in the NHL last fall, he was prone to jailbreaks out of the zone before clear possession had occurred. The time in the AHL has (based on scouting reports and video evidence) produced a more aware player who no longer abandons the zone. Given a full opportunity in training camp, Howard’s pure skill and goal-scoring ability should emerge. Based on Edmonton’s current roster, Howard should have a job on opening night.

When the new coach is announced, GM Stan Bowman will want to tailor the roster to fit the team’s style of play. If the choice is more of a defensive coach, who values rugged play and more discipline, even if it means a lower scoring roster, Howard might not fit the new system. Howard is an effective player when lining up with skill, but is not well-suited to a checking style.

This can lead to disastrous results. When Miro Satan was an Oilers rookie, he had a difficult time fitting in to a team structure that had him on the third line. Despite scoring well, Satan was often faded, and was eventually dealt to the Buffalo Sabres. He would go on to score over 300 NHL goals in an outstanding career after leaving the Oilers.

Howard is a quality goal scorer with good passing skills. He’s going to play on an NHL skill line for a long time. The Oilers need a player just like him, but his youth and inexperience in the NHL might cost him with the new coach. Fans should take notice when the new coach is announced. If the plan is to focus on defensive play over offensive flair, Bowman may want to consider trading Howard for a player who’s effective in a tighter checking environment.

Fans should bet on Howard staying with the Oilers and delivering a strong season in 2026-27.