"He's not only a skilled player, I think he's a fierce competitor," Groulx said. "When he's in a battle for the puck, when he's in a race for the puck, when he's driving the net to beat his opponent to get open, he's someone that wants to make the difference. He's someone that wants to make the play, who wants to score the goal, who wants to make that pass. That's the compete [level] he's got. And I think that's what makes the difference in his game. When you bring that skill level and that compete, I think you have a player like him."
Howden, 18, doesn't have the same offensive upside as Point; he had 24 goals and 64 points in 68 games last season. But he does have a solid two-way game to go along with good size (6-foot-2, 193 pounds).
"We always felt Brett was first and foremost very skilled," Lightning director of amateur scouting Al Murray said. "He's got good size, good skills and he's very smart. The more you watch him, you realize he's almost maintenance-free when it comes to the defensive part of the game and how everything comes together between offense and defense. His attention to detail is very strong."
Howden likely will spent at least one more season developing in Moose Jaw, but he isn't conceding anything.
"First and foremost, I want to gain a lot of experience," he said. "Secondly, I think it would be stupid to say that everybody is not here to make the team. Everybody here wants to make the team. That's why we're coming in. We're not coming here just to skate around. Everybody is trying really hard to try to earn a spot. If that doesn't happen, just make a good impression. That's my main goal.
"If I just stick to my game and just show them what I can do, then I think I'll be fine in the long run. I'm not going to try and be somebody I'm not out here. I'm just going to stick to my game and show them what I have."