Prospect Info: 2016 1st Round pick: 27th overall Brett Howden

[DFC]

I think this is a good pick, and we tend to take our homerun swings in the later rounds anyway.

Look, we just got done complaining about our lack of depth scoring. Now we've drafted a guy who looks like a sure NHLer who'll provide exactly that. It's a good safeguard (4 or 6 years from now) to make sure we don't find ourselves in the situation we were this year.

 

[Hammer Slammer]

Highlights sans annoying music if you're interested

 

[Everblades13]

I really like this pick.

Rubstov was who I was hoping for, but Howden possesses a lot of the qualities that made me want Rubstov.

IMO we really, really needed a big center who plays a good 200-foot game. Howden is exactly that. He seems like a sure fire #2 center to me, which is just fine for the 27th pick in the draft.

He doesn't excel in any one particular area, but I think he is pretty good at everything.

Can't think of anyone off the top of my head that we passed on who I would have preferred over Howden.

 

[Lord Stan 2020]

@b_howdy21 twitter

i have said a little on this pick think is gonna shock us and have a lot of toews palat qualities with leadership and good at faceoffs

very interesting to me to see if he can take over the second center position at some point

 

[MattM92]

I could see Howden pushing for a roster spot in as little as 2 years. I am already a fan of this pick as he fills a hole in the organization and he is a pretty darn good player too.

 

[Brie]

 

[TheDaysOf 04]

http://lightning.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=887802

“(The Lightning) are getting a good two-way guy,” Point said during the first day of the Bolts’ development camp at the Brandon Ice Sports Forum on Tuesday, reiterating the same points he made to Lightning management during Howden’s evaluation process. “He plays good D, was on the power play and penalty kill for us this year. He did it all. He’s good on faceoffs, a good centerman, a big body obviously. He was a real leader in our room this year, even at 17 (years old). Just pretty much an all-around player.”

...when Lightning scouts, during their evaluation of Point’s progression, noticed a young forward with good size, skating ability and a responsible two-way game making an impact for Moose Jaw, they solicited Point’s opinion.

He was all-too happy to give it.

“They asked me about him for sure a few times, and I just gave them my honest opinion,” Point said. “Obviously, it was all good things because of the way he plays and the kind of guy he is. I never talked about the possibility about drafting him, but I gave them what I saw or what I felt playing with him.”

Lightning director of player development Stacy Roest said Point’s endorsement of Howden played a factor in the Bolts selecting him with their first pick at last weekend’s draft.

“It helps because we feel we know Brayden as well as we do and he knows Brett really well,” Roest said. “They sat beside each other in Moose Jaw in the locker room, and they spoke very highly of each other actually. That helps, of course, having Brayden there, we were in there maybe more than some other junior teams and watching Brett. Then you watch, it was fun over the last couple years watching Brett become a complete player and watching his progression as well as watching (Brayden’s).”

Howden said he’s learned a lot from Point during their two years together at Moose Jaw. Point’s competitiveness has rubbed off on Howden. The two often stick around after practice to work on the finer nuances of the game. He’s also developed some of the same leadership traits Point possesses.

“My first year (in Moose Jaw) when I was 16, we obviously knew each other, but I think as the year went on and definitely into my second year, we got a lot closer and started hanging out a lot more,” Howden said. “Once I found out I was drafted (to Tampa Bay), I got a text from him, and he was pretty excited. I was real excited to know someone where I’m going and to have a guy like him there.”