Pittsburgh Penguins select Tanner Howe No. 46 overall in 2024 NHL Draft

Credit: Tanner Howe (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)

A talented player out of the Western Hockey League has had his name taken off the draft board.

On Saturday at The Sphere in Las Vegas, the Pittsburgh Penguins took Regina Pats captain Tanner Howe in the second round of the 2024 NHL Draft, No. 46 overall.

The 18-year-old entered this year’s draft as the No. 41 North American skater, according to NHL Central Scouting. Daily Faceoff draft expert Steven Ellis has him ranked 43rd in his latest prospect rankings.

“Howe was a high-end scorer again this year,” Ellis said. “He loves to compete, but his skating and smaller frame don’t help. Despite that, Howe battles for pucks and has the energy that can make him more valuable if he isn’t cast into a scoring role.”

Howe started to make a name for himself while playing with current Chicago Blackhawks star Connor Bedard, narrowly missing the 90-point mark during the 2022-23 season. Even when Bedard moved on to the NHL, Howe proved he can be an efficient scoring threat. He is a hard-working player that battles hard along the boards, and has a little bit of a pest-like mindset while fighting for the puck.

Though he isn’t the tallest guy in the room, standing at 5-foot-11, Howe uses his size to put him in the right position to gain and keep possession of the puck. The one thing holding back the Prince Albert, Saskatchewan native is his lack of speed. For someone of his stature, that is something Howe has to improve on if he wants to improve his chances of making the NHL.

With Bedard in Regina, Howe had a career year two seasons ago, notching 36 goals and 49 assists in 67 games. Since making the full-time jump to the WHL, he has consistently been a point-a-game player, averaging over 65 points in each of his three full seasons. The captain has scored 92 goals and 141 assists for 233 points in 207 games with the Pats.

Howe has also represented his country on the international stage. He played on Team Canada at the 2022 and 2023 IIHF Men’s Under-18 World Championship, helping the Canadians win bronze last year. Howe was a key part of the team that took home the gold at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.