Last summer, the Pittsburgh Penguins made one of the most newsworthy trades of the summer when they acquired top forward prospect Rutger McGroarty from the Winnipeg Jets.
And they may have a chance to execute a very similar deal this summer.
On Friday, Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois said it was "unlikely" that top forward prospect Isaac Howard would sign his entry-level contract with the Bolts.
Lightning GM Julien BriseBois: Isaac Howard Unlikely to Sign with Team
Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois confirmed Friday that former first-round pick Isaac Howard is unlikely to sign with the organization, potentially setting the stage for a trade or free agency departure in 2026.
"The reality is we haven't been able to come to an agreement that is mutually acceptable," BriseBois said.
He continued: "When I chatted with Isaac, he was really candid. And I appreciate his honesty, and I thank him for his honesty. He values the opportunity to choose the club that he believes is the best fit for him. I won't speak for him, but he values that. And, right now, I would say it's unlikely that we will sign him. So, the scenarios are either that he gets traded prior to Aug. 15 of '26 or he goes to free agency on Aug. 15 of '26."
The situation is comparably similar to the one last season with McGroarty - also a top NCAA prospect - who said he did not intend to sign with the Jets and was subsequently traded to Pittsburgh.
Howard - a 21-year-old left winger out of Michigan State University (MSU) - was named the 2025 Hobey Baker Award Winner to distinguish him as the top player in college hockey. He registered 26 goals and 52 points in 37 games to along with a plus-19 this season for MSU.
He was the first-round pick of the Lightning (31st overall) in 2022. The 5-foot-10, 180-pound forward was bred from the USHL program, where he put up 33 goals and 82 points in 60 games with the U.S. National Under-18 Team and 11 goals and 37 points in 27 games with the U.S. National Team Development Program (USNTDP) Juniors in his draft season before heading to the University of Minnesota-Duluth.
He spent one season there before transferring to MSU, where his game took off. In three seasons between Minnesota and MSU, he recorded 40 goals and 105 points in 108 games.
Penguins president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas has reiterated several times that the Penguins' focus will be to bring in younger players who can help the team now and in the future. He specifically pointed to the restricted free agent market during his postseason press conference, and he also stressed that they would examine any situation that comes up involving a young player who they believe can be difference-makers at the NHL level.
Could this be a repeat situation of last summer, when the Penguins landed McGroarty at the expense of their own top prospect at the time in 2023 first-round pick Brayden Yager?
Chances are that Pittsburgh isn't willing to part with a McGroarty or Ville Koivunen in order to get the deal done this time around. But that doesn't mean there aren't others who may be in the mix.
The Penguins have 30 draft picks over the next three seasons, with - as of now - 11 of those selections this year. If the Penguins do not receive the conditional first-round pick in 2025 from the New York Rangers - acquired in the Marcus Pettersson trade to the Vancouver Canucks - they will lose some of the trade leverage they have this season, as they are unlikely to surrender their own first-round pick in the top-10.
If that's the case, perhaps Tampa Bay could be swayed to move Howard with a top-10 prospect plus a 2025 second-round pick - someone in the ilk of forward Tristan Broz or defenseman Emil Pieniniemi. Since they are unlikely to surrender McGroarty, Koivunen, or Harrison Brunicke, they would likely have to get a bit creative.
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While it seems as if Tampa Bay doesn't hold leverage in this situation, that's not entirely true. If they elect not to trade Howard by Aug. 15, 2026, he will become a free agent, and they will receive a compensary 2027 second-round pick. Teams are going to want Howard, and they have plenty of time to hold out until the best offer is presented.
So, in a sense, the Penguins might have to give up what may be considered a slight overpay for his services in order to outbid other teams in the meantime.
However, given Howard's skating, defensive prowess, and playmaking ability in high-danger areas - as well as his finishing ability - that slight overpay might just be a worthwhile risk for Dubas and the Penguins if the option is on the table.
If the chance is there like it was for McGroarty last season, Dubas should take it. Howard is a young player who can help in the near- and long-term, and he fits the timeline for the "as urgently as possible" contention window that the Penguins are trying to accomplish.
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