Brett Howden’s daughter turns 1 this weekend, and the Golden Knights forward has an extra reason to celebrate: he’s back in the lineup. Howden is expected to play Sunday against the Edmonton Oilers after missing nearly two months with a lower-body injury.
“I’m super excited,” Howden said after Saturday’s optional practice. “Being away from the team always sucks. Being back in my normal routine and back on the ice for them and tomorrow getting back in the lineup, I’m thrilled. I can’t wait.”
Howden was on his best stretch of the season before aggravating an injury that had already sidelined him four games in October. He had four goals and six points in nine games, and played 16:31 in his last contest Jan. 10 against St. Louis.
The Olympic break gave Howden an extra three weeks to recover. He skated with teammates Friday for the first time since January. “We had a good idea of what the timeline was going to look like. It was nice the majority of it was over the break,” he said. “I felt like the work from the medical staff and strength guys, I think we did a lot of good work and got back maybe even quicker than I thought.”
His return gives coach Bruce Cassidy flexibility. Howden can play wing or center, potentially allowing Mitch Marner to shift back to right wing. Cassidy reaffirmed Friday he has no concerns about Marner playing center. “(Howden) always finds a way to play 15, 16 minutes, and that’s with no power play time,” Cassidy said. “That’s where we miss him.”
Howden is coming off a career-high 23 goals and 40 points last season, which earned him a five-year, $12.5 million extension. Despite the injury, he is one goal from his second straight double-digit goal season. “I felt like most of the year, I was playing a consistent game. The points come when they come, so I wasn’t really looking at it that way,” Howden said. “I was just frustrated I had to miss time.”
The Knights (29-10-14) have gone 2-4 since returning from the Olympic break and need a spark. Edmonton (30-25-8) is 2-5 in its last seven and holds a one-point lead for third place in the Pacific Division over Seattle, but has played two more games. The Oilers still feature Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, making Sunday’s game a tough test for Howden’s return. “I’m looking to bring my game, to bring some energy, bring some pace and just try to work my way back to my game as quick as possible,” he said. “Hopefully it doesn’t take too long to get back to what I can do.”
Up next
Who: Oilers at Golden Knights
When: 6:30 p.m. Sunday
Where: T-Mobile Arena
TV: ESPN
Radio: KFLG 94.7 FM/KKGK 1340 AM
Line: Knights -115; total 6 ½
