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31 Oilers Questions: Can Isaac Howard take a step forward like Matthew Savoie did in 2025-26?
Photo credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images
Aug 27, 2026, 14:00 EDTUpdated: Aug 27, 2026, 14:03 EDT
This August, Oilersnation will ask one question about every Edmonton Oilers player projected to be on the 2026-27 roster in preparation for the upcoming season. From Connor McDavid to Mattias Janmark, let’s ask some questions.
The Edmonton Oilers have one of the worst prospect pools in the National Hockey League, with Daily Faceoff ranking it as the 28th-best in the league if you view it from a glass-half-full perspective. It’s not good, but it also isn’t surprising.
This is the cost of being a Stanley Cup contender. Their prospect pool edges out the Tampa Bay Lightning, Colorado Avalanche, Vegas Golden Knights, and Dallas Stars, while also trailing the Minnesota Wild and Florida Panthers. Picks and prospects are traded ahead of the trade deadline for help, which’ll slowly make the window of contention shorter and shorter. It doesn’t help that the Oilers have a tendency to not draft well after the second round.
The Oilers’ best prospect by far is Isaac Howard, and oh boy, do they ever need him to figure it out if they wish to continue to contend for the next half decade. That begs the question, can the forward take a step forward just like Matthew Savoie did in 2025-26?
Can Isaac Howard take a leap like Matthew Savoie did?
The Oilers acquired Howard from the Lightning during the 2025 off-season, sending Sam O’Reilly the other way. Although he was drafted 31st overall in 2022, Howard quickly became a top prospect thanks to his Hobey Baker-winning season in 2024-25, scoring 26 goals and 52 points in 37 games with Michigan State.
Savoie, on the other hand, was selected ninth overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the same draft. The St. Albert product had a different pathway to become a professional, playing in the Western Hockey League.
There are parallels between the two players as well. During the 2024 off-season, the Oilers acquired Savoie, with the winger spending most of the 2024-25 season with the American Hockey League’s Bakersfield Condors. Howard also spent most of his first season with the Oilers organization in the AHL.
Both players are undersized wingers that stand at 5’10”, 180 lbs. They also rely heavily on one key attribute. Neither player is a one-trick pony, but Howard’s best attribute is his wicked wrist shot, while Savoie has a bunch of speed. Both attributes are important in a top six role.
After a slow start to the year, scoring just nine goals and 18 points in 58 games, Savoie matched his goal total and picked up one more assist over his final 24 games after the Olympic break. His most common linemate in this stretch was Connor McDavid.
This is a good example of why playing young players with your best players is important for their development. Unfortunately for Horward, he didn’t receive the same luck in his NHL games. During five-on-five action, Howard played just under 30 minutes with McDavid and just over 10 with Leon Draisaitl. Ironically, the trio combined for Howard’s first career NHL goal.
Howard’s most common linemates were Jack Roslovic and Savoie, with the trio playing just over 71 five-on-five minutes together on the third line. It wasn’t a recipe for success, neither was playing with Adam Henrique and David Tomášek.
Over his 29 NHL games, Howard scored two goals and five points, finishing the season as a -6. For comparison’s sake, Savoie played just four NHL games in his first season in the Oilers’ organization. Thankfully, there’s still plenty of hope.
The scoring prowess that Howard showed in college was clear as day in the AHL. Over 47 games with the Condors, Howard scored 24 goals and 50 points, with an additional four assists in three postseason games. He was right near the top of rookie scoring despite playing just 47 games. His 1.06 point-per-game pace was second-most among rookies, and his 24 goals ranked third among rookies.
Removing rookies from the equation, the 22-year-old was still one of the best goal scorers in 2025-26. He scored a goal every other game and over a 72-game season, Howard was on pace for 36 goals, which would’ve been second-most in the AHL.
Taking a Savoie-like step is entirely possible for Howard, but he needs minutes with good players. Whether that be alongside Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jason Dickinson on the third line, or with either McDavid or Draisaitl is anyone’s best goal. Howard will certainly get a chance to impress, as Daily Faceoff has the 22-year-old pencilled in on the first line alongside McDavid.
Other Oilers questions…
- Can Tristan Jarry bounce back in 2026-27?
- Which offseason acquisition will have the greatest impact on the Oilers?
- To trade or keep Spencer Stastney?
- Is winning a Stanley Cup the only way McDavid will re-sign?
- Can Kasperi Kapanen stick in the top six?
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for DFOEdmonton, DFOCalgary, and Blue Jays Nation. Follow her on X at @Ryley__Delaney.
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Edmonton OilersTeam Cap Summary
Cap Summary
2026-27
2027-28
Projected Cap Hit
$102,071,666
$88,322,500
Projected Cap Space
$1,928,334
$25,177,500
Current Cap Space
$1,928,334
$25,177,500
Active Players
22/23
16/23
Draft Picks
Round
'26
'27
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0
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1
1
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1
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