Vegas Golden Knights forward and 2023 Stanley Cup champion Brett Howden competes against the New York Rangers tonight at 10:00 p.m. (ET) for the first time since he won the Stanley Cup in 2023.
The Manitoba native was drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning 27th overall in 2016.
He was traded to New York in a blockbuster deadline deal that sent Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh and J.T Miller to the Lightning in exchange for a 2018 1st overall pick, Libor Hajek, Vladislav Namestnikov, and Howden.
Vegas Baby Vegas:
Howden has skated in three seasons with the Golden Knights, recording 44 points (19 goals, 25 assists) in 143 regular-season contests.
The 25-year-old forward was a vital piece to the Vegas Golden Knights Stanely Cup Championship in 2023, where he posted 10 points (5 goals, 5 assists), and skated on one of the Golden Knights's second lines with Mark Stone and Chandler Stephenson.
One of his five goals came in game 1 of the Western Conference Final against the Dallas Stars, where he scored the overtime winner.
Right after winning the Stanley Cup, Howden said, "It was a lot of work for [myself] sure but a lot of people along the way helped to get you where you are. I want to acknowledge that." (H/t Golden Knights PR)
"It's never come back here before. So, you know, me growing up here my whole life and getting to play in the program here and this is where it all started. So, I owe a lot to this town," Howden told CTV News Winnipeg following the championship victory. (H/t Devon McKendrick)
Howden In The Big Apple:
Howden made the Rangers team out of camp over Lias Andersson, who was the team's 8th overall pick in 2017.
He posted 23 points (6 goals, 17 assists) in the first declared rebuild season for the Rangers in 2018-2019.
That summer, the Rangers accelerated the roster reconstruction by signing Artemi Panarin, drafting Kaapo Kakko, and trading for Jacob Trouba.
In 2019-2020, Howden played an essential role as a depth skater for a Ranger team that was competitive. He posted 19 points in 70 games, coming up with clutch goals to help the team push for the playoffs.
The next year, the Ranger's identity was damaged by several factors out of the organization's control. Howden recorded 7 points in 42 games in 2021.
On Jul.17, 2021, he was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for Nick DeSimone and the 111th overall pick of the draft (Noah Laba).
The Trade Tree
Ryan McDonagh and J.T Miller would lose to the eventual Stanley Cup champions, the Washington Capitals, in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2018.
In 2019, they were swept by Artemi Panarin and the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first round, prompting the organization to make changes.
On June 22, 2019, Miller was traded to the Vancouver Canucks. Although it has been a bumpy ride he stuck it out as the Canucks are the second-best team in the NHL.
McDonagh would ink a long-term 7-year deal and won the Stanley Cup in back-to-back seasons with the Lightning.
On Jul.3, 2022, he was traded to the Nashville Predators in exchange for Philippe Myers and Grant Mismash.
J.T. Miller has 359 points in 327 games as a Canuck. He recorded a 99-point season in 2022.
He has only skated in one post-season with the club in the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs, where he recorded 18 points (6 goals, 12 assists) in 17 games in the Canucks surprising run.