Boston Bruins fans shouldn't complain too much about their depleted prospect pool. Although it appears unfavorable, the depletion stems from competing for the better part of two decades. Teams have to trade top draft picks and prospects at the deadline to keep up with the other contenders, and that's why the Bruins have a subpar group.
Another team that has that issue is the Tampa Bay Lightning. Unfortunately for them, one of their top prospects, Isaac Howard, isn't showing much interest in signing with them out of Michigan State, which has put him on the trade block. It's unlikely that the Lightning would help out the Bruins, but if they do, Howard is worth exploring.
Howard had a rough freshman season after the Lightning drafted him 31st overall in 2022. He started his NCAA career at the University of Minnesota-Duluth and recorded just 17 points in 35 games. It wasn't the best fit for the Wisconsin native, so he decided to transfer to Michigan State for the 2023-24 season.
Michigan State was much kinder to Howard, as he recorded a point-per-game with eight goals and 28 assists. While he didn't score many goals with the Spartans, he also won a gold medal with the United States at the World Juniors, scoring seven goals and adding two assists in seven games. It was the season that put Howard on the map and made it seem like the Lightning had a steal from the 2022 draft class.
Howard turned it up another notch in 2024-25, finding his scoring touch with 26 goals and 26 assists in 37 games. He also won the Hobey Baker Award for the nation's best collegiate player. He looked like a shoo-in to turn pro, but couldn't reach a deal with the Lightning and decided to return to Michigan State for his senior season.
An interesting wrinkle for the Bruins is that nothing guarantees Howard will return to Michigan State next season. If the Lightning trade him this offseason, Howard could easily sign with whichever team acquires him and join them for the 2025-26 season. If the Bruins want to give up the assets, they could easily trade for Howard and add him to the lineup.
The Bruins have their sights set on getting back into contending mode instead of entering a rebuild. An Isaac Howard acquisition adds to their prospect pool while also giving them some much-needed offensive help for next season.