Young Edmonton Oilers winger Ike Howard is in position to make the NHL for good in 2026-27. With enough experience in the league to take a natural step forward as a player, Howard could earn minutes at even strength and on the power play due to his plus shot and creativity with the puck.The Oilers have an established graduation program in place for skilled players coming into the system. Matt Savoie spent a season with the Bakersfield Condors, then followed it up by slowly increasing his role with the Oilers during 2025-26. The result was a young player positioned to take over as one of Connor McDavid’s wingers on the No. 1 line. Although Savoie may still have some work to do to succeed Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in the role as the captain’s defensive conscience, the die is cast, and the aging process will take care of the rest.Howard is a natural fit for the second line, with Leon Draisaitl as his centre. Howard cashing those cherry passes from the big man has appeal, and winger Vasily Podkolzin also offers a range of skills that include some offensive gears. The line would be less reliant on Howard to play a strong defensive game, and his shooting ability would be a net positive.Here are Howard’s bona fides and reasons why he’s an excellent fit, with one worrisome possible outcome worthy of mention.ShooterOne of the key needs for Edmonton next season is a finisher for the second or third line and on the second power-play unit. Much of Howard’s NHL future rests on the ability to score goals.YearLeagueShots-GameGoals2022-23NCHC26 (8.6 pct)2023-24Big-103.18 (7.2 pct)2024-25Big-104.626 (15.4 pct)2025-26AHL3.224 (15.9 pct)Howard’s first two college seasons saw him post the numbers one would expect from a young scorer waiting for his opportunity to play a feature role. That opportunity arrived in his junior season, and Howard delivered both volume and accuracy. The most important information here comes from his AHL season. Howard didn’t find the step into pro hockey to be overwhelming. His shooting percentage was a match for his final college year, and his volume of shots was impressive for a rookie AHL player.In the AHL, Howard improved markedly in his play away from the puck, while also being a high-quality offensive player at even strength and on the power play. If a strong AHL season as a rookie pro is the standard for elevation to the Oilers, Howard passed the test.