The Edmonton Oilers have acquired forward prospect Isaac Howard from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for prospect Sam O’Reilly. Howard was unhappy with the Lightning due to the unlikely chance of an immediate NHL spot. In Edmonton, he’ll get a look. The Oilers get a young, sensational talent to replace what they’ve lost. It’s an excellent step for the Oilers to continue building on their team success over the last couple of seasons. It’s also not a large price that the Oilers paid to get this player.
Coldplay concert interruption:
Tampa Bay and Edmonton have made a prospect-for-prospect trade
Sam O’Reilly for Isaac Howard
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 9, 2025
How This Benefits the Oilers
Isaac Howard is one of the most promising talents in the NCAA. In 37 games with Michigan State, he scored 26 goals and 26 assists. That’s 52 points for a player that didn’t play a ton, and now the Oilers get that boost. He’s a great player that the Oilers will get to experiment with accordingly. Where does he slot into that lineup? He’s an excellent skater, and the Oilers had the opportunity to mess around with where he fits.
#Oilers believe Isaac Howard is ready to enter #NHL immediately – signed out of @MSU_Hockey and be in Edmonton’s opening night lineup.
Fascinating trade. Depending on who you trust, some scouts think O’Reilly is the better long-term prospect. Howard is NHL ready now.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) July 9, 2025
Do you put him with Connor McDavid on the top line? That’s a dangerous bet because of the competition McDavid draws. Can you slide him in with Leon Draisaitl on the second line? That’s a better fit, but then you limit his ice time. He’s eager to get into the NHL, and he could be a replacement for someone like Evander Kane. Alternatively, you could slide him into the third line with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and let him feast against lower-calibre opponents. This freedom could be a tremendous change for Howard to become a star winger. He’s capable of being a great supporting act in Northern Alberta.
Howard is about to sign his entry-level contract. He’s going to be a nice piece for head coach Kris Knoblauch. He’s aggressive, and he’s got the talent to fit in with the Oilers. Edmonton has been pleading for a supporting winger for their star centres. If Howard can become that, the Oilers will look back on this trade masterfully.
O’Reilly was also locked out down the middle for the Oilers. With McDavid, Draisaitl, Nugent-Hopkins, and Adam Henrique, there wasn’t a spot. Getting a phenomenal, young winger back for someone who wasn’t troubling the NHL roster is good work. If the Oilers can get Howard to 50-ish points as a rookie, they’re going to be dangerous. It will be his first season in the league, and it will not be the best year he has. This still could be a home-run swing for the Oilers moving forward.
Why It Benefits the Lightning
It’s pretty simple. Howard was not signing with the Bolts. He was going to become an unrestricted free agent upon completing his degree. This trade gives them something back for a great talent. O’Reilly was the 32nd overall pick in the 2024 draft, so he’s talented. It’s never easy to compare the OHL to the NCAA, but O’Reilly scored 28 goals and 43 assists for 71 points in 62 games. That’s good, but it’s a step down from what Howard was doing in the NCAA.
O’Reilly is a tremendous defensive centre, and he’s got upside. He’s got some issues he needs to work on, but he’s promising. The Toronto native is supposed to be going back to the London Knights for the upcoming season, and then the Lightning could look at how they can bring him into the fold. It’s a situation where the Lightning still gets a valuable asset for someone who would not sign openly. It’s a good trade for the Bolts here, and the Lightning will try to make it work in the future.
Main Photo Credit: Nick King/Lansing State Journal-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Image
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