Oilers Acquire Isaac Howard From Lightning In Exchange For Sam O'Reilly

The Edmonton Oilers and Tampa Bay Lightning swapped past first-round selections on Tuesday night.

Edmonton acquired Isaac Howard from the Lightning in exchange for Sam O'Reilly. Howard also signed a three-year entry-level contract to turn pro after winning the Hobey Baker Award.

Howard, 21, recorded 26 goals and 26 assists for 52 points in 37 games at Michigan State. He beat out finalists Zeev Buium and Ryan Leonard to win the Hobey Baker as the top player in NCAA men's hockey for 2024-25.

The Lightning drafted Howard 31st overall in 2022. In May, Lightning GM Julien BriseBois told reporters it was unlikely he would be signing with the organization.

“When I chatted with Isaac, he was pretty candid, and I appreciated his honesty, and I thank him for his honesty,” BriseBois said at the time. “He values the opportunity to choose the club that he believes is the best fit for him. And I won’t speak for him, but he values that. Right now, I would say it’s unlikely that we will sign him.”

The Oilers now have Howard under contract through the 2027-28 season. The trade comes just over a year after Edmonton acquired Matt Savoie, a ninth overall pick in the 2022 draft, from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Ryan McLeod and Tyler Tullio.

In The Hockey News' 2025 Future Watch issue, Howard was rated the 73rd-top prospect in hockey, according to a panel of scouts and hockey executives. BriseBois said Howard improved his two-way play, strength and competitiveness, while his skating popped.

O'Reilly was ranked 89th. The 19-year-old won the Memorial Cup this past season with the London Knights, recording 22 points in 17 OHL playoff games and another five points in the Memorial Cup. In the regular season, O'Reilly had 28 goals and 71 points in 62 games. The Oilers drafted him 32nd overall in 2024.

While Howard plays on the left wing, O'Reilly plays a two-way game at center.

O'Reilly already had an entry-level contract in 2024-25, but it slid a year since he hasn't played in his NHL debut yet. He still has three years remaining on his deal.

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