Tampa Bay Lightning Top Prospect and First Round Pick Isaac Howard May Force Trade From Team

In the 2022 NHL Draft, the Tampa Bay Lightning used their first-round pick on Isaac Howard, and for the most part it appeared to be a great pick in the young forward that was headed to Michigan State.

Now, the team have promoted his Hobey Baker hopes after he was named a finalist, with many expecting him to make the jump the NHL sooner, rather than later given his impressive production.

However, that may not happen after all, as Elliotte Friedman is now reporting that he'll return to Michigan State next season, and in the process, may look to become a free agent after the season.

It's unclear where all of this came from, but according to Friedman, the whispers at the NCAA level were that Howard and the Lightning had some type of disconnect that made many believe he wouldn't make the jump to the NHL and sign with Tampa Bay.

In 37 games this season, Howard posted 26 goals and 26 assists, making him one of the top players in all of college hockey, and if things do play out this way, he could end up being a free agent in August of 2026.

Ultimately, the most likely outcome of this situation is that Howard's rights end up being traded by the Lightning, and while no one quite knows what happened between the two parties for it to get to this point, it's more likely now that we will see him in the NHL on a team not named Lightning whenever that leap happens.