Inside Scott Wheeler’s Bold 2022 NHL Draft Shake-Up: Which Stars Rise and Fall?

16. Buffalo Sabres: LW Ike Howard

Actual draft pick: No. 31 (change: +15) to Tampa Bay
My final ranking: No. 10 (change: -6)

I think I was a little high on Howard and the consensus was a little more too low on him, if that makes sense. I saw the talent, scoring and production on a deep team where he wasn’t always first over the boards and believed that in a weak draft, he was one of the only forwards with top-six upside. I also thought he was harder working than he got credit for. Most NHL scouts saw a sub-6-foot winger (I always thought he was stronger than his listing) with a boom-or-bust profile and worried about him being a net-negative defensively. Then there was the unique swagger, which, in getting to know him, I always appreciated but put some others off. I think both sides were justified in coming to the determinations they did. There are some even today, after his Hobey Baker season and some noticeable improvements in his habits and off-puck play, who wonder if his value has peaked and question whether his game will work in the NHL. I still think he’s going to be a second-line scorer and that this is the right adjusted range for him. He and the next player share some of the same profile questions and concerns as well, so I think it’s appropriate that they’re back-to-back here.

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