Isaac Howard Out Week-to-Week After Taking Brutal Knee-on-Knee Hit
Mike Babcock said 'He’s going to be out a couple weeks, I think. But it’s nothing. It’s not a big deal.'
Isaac Howard is officially week-to-week after taking a brutal knee-on-knee hit, which is NHL coach speak for "he will be back somewhere between next Tuesday and the next solar eclipse."
The forward caught the bad end of a collision with forward just two minutes into Saturday's 4-0 win. earned a five-minute major and an early shower, while Howard logged a grand total of 30 seconds of ice time before needing help to the locker room.
Head coach Mike Babcock tried to play it cool, calling the injury "nothing" and "not a big deal," but losing a young depth piece still stings. The 2025 Hobey Baker winner has dressed in 13 games this year, putting up a goal and three points. That might not sound like MVP production, but he was already on pace to shatter his five-point rookie campaign.
Fortunately for , they have the luxury of letting him heal at his own pace. The Oilers are currently sitting pretty at 11-2-2, leading the Pacific Division by four points over the . When you are banking points at that rate, you do not need to rush a young forward back onto the ice to save your season. Bettors looking at 's upcoming moneylines probably will not flinch at a bottom-six absence, but it does test the depth chart.
Howard will officially miss the end of the ' current road trip, which wraps up Tuesday night against the . After that, heads back to Alberta for a four-game homestand starting Thursday against the . Expect the training staff to take their time, because right now, the are cruising just fine without him.