Promising Signs From Dach And Howard, Still More To Do

Colton Dach and Isaac Howard both scored against the Detroit Red Wings on Monday night, an encouraging development for the Edmonton Oilers who have been waiting for more production from its bottom six.

Dach and Howard are among few young players for the Oilers and expected, by many fans, to have important roles within the team.

Dach scored late in the third period to give Edmonton the lead, while Howard also found the back of the net. Dach was moved into his spot alongside Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Kasperi Kapanen after Hyman was taken of the ice, likely for concussion protocol, and he's expected to remain there against Calgary on Wednesday.

Howard, meanwhile, is expected to play alongside Jason Dickinson and Mathieu Joseph.

It's understandable why some fans would rather see Howard, a 22-year-old offensive player who just scored against Detroit, get an opportunity on the second line. That said, the Oilers tried that, but to no avail.

“(Howard) has worked really hard, competed real hard. But you’ve got to learn how to take a check and own a lane in the National Hockey League, so you can hang on to the puck,” Babcock said.

“Who has it when you're done with it? If it's the other team all the time, it's not a good thing.”

Howard has the shot and offensive instincts to become a productive NHL player, although he's still learning how to create opportunities against defencemen who are considerably bigger and stronger than the players he faced in college.

Babcock pointed to Leon Draisaitl as somebody Howard could learn from.

“You look at a guy like Draisaitl, he is exceptional at it. He gets it, he just puts his butt out there and he hangs on to it. You’ve got to be able to hang on the puck to be an offensive guy in the National Hockey League.”

Easy enough, just learn to protect the puck like one of the best players in the world.

There's a reason Draisaitl is so difficult to defend, and while Howard probably isn't going to develop that same ability overnight, Babcock wants him to be able to hold onto the puck long enough to do something with it.

Dach seems to be a little further along in that department. At 6-foot-4, he's got the size to play a more physical game, and Babcock rewarded his performance against Detroit with an opportunity in the top six.

Former Oilers head coach Todd McLellan explained why coaches are sometimes reluctant to give young players those opportunities before they're ready.

“When we stuff them into spots, maybe move them up too fast or expect too much from them, we tend to dislike the player,” McLellan said. “And that's not fair to the player, to the team or the coaching staff.”

McLellan has coached plenty of young players throughout his career, including Connor McDavid, Quinton Byfield, and Logan Couture, and his point about managing expectations makes sense.

“We can project what they might be, but we have to evaluate them for what they are right now,” McLellan said. “Then we have to put a lot of extra time in with them.”

The Oilers have been trying to develop Howard into somebody who can eventually play in their top six, and it won't hurt to make sure he's ready for the defensive responsibilities that come with it.

However, I'm not sure how much offensive development a player can accomplish when he's spending most of his time on the fourth line.

Howard needs to learn to be a gritty, all-out competitive player like the guys who excel on the fourth line, but he also needs opportunities to use the offensive ability that made him such an appealing prospect in the first place.

After how much Connor McDavid and Draisaitl have done to generate offence, it's time for the bottom six to contribute more.

Now Dach and Howard have both scored, and it's an opportunity to see whether they can build on it.

Hyman's injury is a chance for Dach to play alongside more offensive players, and his performance against Detroit proves he's earned it. Howard will have to continue working his way up the lineup, although there's reason to wonder how long Babcock intends to keep him there.

As said, the Oilers have very little young offensive talent waiting in the organization, and it's important that Dach and Howard develop properly. I understand wanting to make sure they're ready before giving them more responsibility, but there's only so much a player can learn without getting the opportunity to play.

See more of The Hockey News on Google and save us as a preferred source. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.