[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Post-Bedard Edition):

Before the 2023-24 season began in Regina, many folks in the hockey world were wondering how Pats' Captain C/LW Tanner Howe would fare without the great Connor Bedard, who departed for the NHL. The pressure has been on Howe to be the main man for the team all year, and he's handling the burden quite well, despite being the main focus of opposing teams' D on a nightly basis. Howe has a late 2005 birthday, and though he's 18 years old, he's already an elder statesman in the WHL, with this season being his third full season in the league- and he's never been below a ppg, amassing 227 points in 192 games, and counting. In this current campaign, Howe has answered his doubters by piling up 73 points in 61 games to date, good for 23rd in WHL scoring, and leading the Pats by 28 points. He was picked in the 4th round of the 2020 WHL Draft, 73rd overall, and he has paid off handsomely for them. Central Scouting has rated him an "A" prospect, meaning they see him as being worthy of a first-round pick, and I'm sure the rest of the hockey world would agree. When I watched Howe at the most recent Hlinka Gretzky Cup, he struck me as a Colton Sissons-type, that of a utility forward who brings energy, sandpaper, tight-checking, and defensive acumen to the table, while chipping in a bit of offense. He finished the tournament with 4 points in 5 games, which was 12th for Team Canada, and has also taken part in the last 2 U-18 Tournaments, with only 1 point in 11 games.

Howe is so much more than the sum of his parts, as he's not a flashy or dynamic player at all- his skills don't seem to be high-end, and there's not much that pops off the page when you watch him, he just gets the job done. The puck seems to follow him around, and he's always in the thick of the action. Howe plays an honest 200-ft game, with good pro-style habits, attention to detail, and diplays offensive prowess as the straw that stirs the drink in Regina. His IQ is sky-high, and he processes the game at an elite level, with good instincts and anticipation, and a quality playmaking game. Howe relies alot on small-area plays, and quick touches, and he's been described as "the master of the 5-10 foot slip-pass" more than once. Speed-wise, he's an excellent skater, perhaps not elite, but he has smooth edges for escapability and quick movement in small areas. As a shooter, he can pick corners with any of the shots in his arsenal, including his slapshot, and he spends plenty of time around the crease, cleaning up garbage and finishing off second-chance opportunities. When he wants to, he can beat goalies in-tight with his soft hands. He can carry the puck through transition, and create chances off the rush, but alot of his offense comes from capitalizing on broken plays, steals, pouncing on mistakes that he causes, and from winning battles and races.

Despite being only 5'11", 181lbs, Howe plays like a power-forward, being always involved physically, throwing his weight around with hits aplenty. He battles in the trenches and the corners, always outworking opponents, turning steals and puck battles into offense. He has that fire in his belly that drives his high-end motor, and elite compete level- his feet never stop moving, and he stays active at all times. Howe is a respected leader, who leads by example, and doesn't cheat- he's tenacious on-and-off the puck. He's a good handler who can move through traffic, but doesn't dazzle with 1-on-1 moves- he has tight puck-control and protection, and it's hard to strip him of possession. His own-zone play is one of his best qualities, and he's already a seasoned defensive player with acute awareness and IQ on the backcheck. Howe is a part of shutting down opposing teams' best players on a regular basis, while winning key faceoffs, and contributing on PK1. It remains to be seen where Howe's place will end up being on an NHL roster, but he has much better tools and more offense in his game than the aforementioned Colton Sissons. I'm guessing middle-six C, with the chance at top-line winger, if he works to refine his puck skills, gets stronger, and even faster. Reminds me a bit of one of my all-time favorites- Mike Peca.