Tampa Bay’s Lightning Managing Director Julien Brisebois admitted that the organization would probably not be able to get along with his best hope, the American striker Isaac Howard.
Howard, winner of the Hobey-Baker trophy in 2024-2025 and choice of first round of the lightning in 2022, could have understood with the Floridian formation from this spring. However, he will play a last season with Michigan State University in 2025-2026.
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“I really like Isaac, he is a good player and a kind young man, and I appreciated my exchanges with him,” said Brisebois on Friday, on the end of the Lightning season.
“The reality is that we did not reach an acceptable agreement for both parties and if it does not change, it will become a player autonomous on August 15, 2026,” he continued. If this were to be the case, we would receive a second round choice at the 2027 recovery in compensation. ”
-Howard, a left winger of 5 ft and 11 in 11, scored 26 goals and as many aids in 37 games with Michigan State in 2024-2025. According to Brisebois, the young man seems to want to choose his team in the NHL.
“He was very honest: he values the possibility of choosing the team that suits him best,” revealed the man of Quebec hockey.
“Right now, I would say that it is unlikely that we can get along with him,” he said.
If no understanding occurs, two scenarios are available to Brisebois: exchange the rights of the player before August 15, 2026, or let it become an autonomous player and receive the choice of second compensatory round.
The Lightning Hopes Bank is little garnished, given that the club staff has exchanged several high choices in the draft in recent years, in order to remain competitive in the playoffs.
At this point, Quebecois Ethan Gauthier, chosen by Lightning in the second round in 2023, is the only other hope of the club having a certain notoriety.
