Hey, STLFan...

[schwartzwatch]

...does this surprise you?

https://www.nhl.com/news/michigan-state ... aker-award

[STL fan in MN]

No, not surprised. The entire MSU offense went through him this season. Leonard and Buium will likely be better pros but Howard is deserving of the Hobey.

I am a little surprised he’s returning to MSU for his Sr season though. And and Tampa couldn’t come to a deal. TB didn’t have the cap space to sign him yet this season to allow him to burn a year. I’m sure he saw all the other top college players signing and getting assigned to the NHL and figured he deserved the same. And idk, maybe Tampa told him he’d likely be in Syracuse next season so he figured he’d go back to MSU for a final year. That’s where Ralph transferred to too. And last year’s 4th overall pick Caden Lindstrom is going there too. Should be a dominant team.

IMO, Tampa screwed this up a bit. They had all season to prepare to make sure they had the cap space needed to sign him and they didn’t prioritize that. People could blame Howard for being entitled but that’s the leverage these kids have. I’ll be interested to see if Tampa looks to trade him now though or if they’ll still try to sign him a year from now but risk him holding out to August 2026 and becoming a UFA.

[schwartzwatch]

No, not surprised. The entire MSU offense went through him this season. Leonard and Buium will likely be better pros but Howard is deserving of the Hobey.

I am a little surprised he’s returning to MSU for his Sr season though. And and Tampa couldn’t come to a deal. TB didn’t have the cap space to sign him yet this season to allow him to burn a year. I’m sure he saw all the other top college players signing and getting assigned to the NHL and figured he deserved the same. And idk, maybe Tampa told him he’d likely be in Syracuse next season so he figured he’d go back to MSU for a final year. That’s where Ralph transferred to too. And last year’s 4th overall pick Caden Lindstrom is going there too. Should be a dominant team.

IMO, Tampa screwed this up a bit. They had all season to prepare to make sure they had the cap space needed to sign him and they didn’t prioritize that. People could blame Howard for being entitled but that’s the leverage these kids have. I’ll be interested to see if Tampa looks to trade him now though or if they’ll still try to sign him a year from now but risk him holding out to August 2026 and becoming a UFA.

Thanks. Always appreciate your insight and perspective.