2024 second-rounder Tanner Howe’s development will be on hold for quite a while. The Penguins forward prospect underwent ACL reconstruction surgery on his right knee yesterday and will need nine months of recovery time, the team announced.
It’s a terrible blow for Howe, whom Pittsburgh selected with the No. 46 overall pick in last year’s draft. A longtime linemate of Blackhawks phenom Connor Bedard when the two were paired together with the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League, Howe naturally has a strong scoring track record in major junior play. He’s held his own without Bedard, though, finishing his post-draft season with 18-28–46 in 47 games with Regina and the Calgary Hitmen.
Howe missed a chunk of the Hitmen’s postseason run due to his knee injury but still managed to post 2-7–9 in six games to end the year. Since he turns 20 in November, he was looking to make the jump to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the fall and make his professional debut. That’ll need to get put on hold while Howe misses training camp and at least the first half of 2025-26 recuperating from a serious procedure.
The hope is that by missing precious development time now, Howe isn’t jeopardizing his career by exacerbating his injury. Nonetheless, the high-energy 5’11”, 183-lb winger makes speed a crucial part of his game, making such a significant knee injury this early in his career cause for concern.
Howe ranked as the No. 6 prospect in Pittsburgh’s system when Scott Wheeler of The Athletic did his midseason rankings, placing second among left-wingers behind No. 1 Rutger McGroarty. He’s got a foreseeable path toward being a middle-six fixture for the Pens down the road if he can properly heal from this surgery.