Latest news with #SamOReilly
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Tampa Bay Lightning Trade Forward Prospect Isaac Howard to Edmonton Oilers
The Tampa Bay Lightning made a one-for-one trade on Tuesday night, sending forward prospect Isaac Howard to the Edmonton Oilers for fellow forward prospect Sam O'Reilly. Howard told the Lightning that he wasn't going to sign with them and would walk to unrestricted free agency in 2026 if the Lightning didn't trade him. The Lightning got good value for him in O'Reilly, even though he may not be as close to NHL-ready as Howard is. He still projects to be a solid NHL player once he is ready. Advertisement The Oilers signed Howard to an entry-level contract immediately after announcing the trade. Howard had been expected to return to Michigan State for the 2025-26 season but will turn pro after signing his ELC. He finished the 2024-25 season with 26 goals an 52 points in 37 games. He will given every opportunity to make the Oilers' main roster during training camp. O'Reilly is a good get for the Lightning after spent the 2024-25 season with the OHL's London Knights, finishing 28 goals and 71 points in 62 games. He will likely return to the Knights for another season this year. Howard made a lot of sense as a trade target for the Pittsburgh Penguins, but they weren't going to do a McGroarty for Yager type of trade for a second year in a row. If they were going to trade for him, it likely would've been for a lower price. Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more! Advertisement Featured Image Credit: Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
What The Lightning Are Receiving With Sam O'Reilly
Natalie Shaver/OHL Images Losing Isaac Howard is a tough pill to swallow for the Tampa Bay Lightning and their fans, but they can be relieved to acquire a prospect of the calibre of Sam O'Reilly. O'Reilly might not be as potent offensively as Howard, but what Howard lacks defensively and physically, O'Reilly excels. Advertisement Comparing any prospect to Anthony Cirelli can be unfair, but if any prospect resembles Cirelli, it's O'Reilly. Both O'Reilly and Cirelli are listed at 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, carrying relentless motors when attempting to regain possession of the puck. Their play styles are very similar, and it's where most of the comparisons are drawn from, but their stories through junior hockey are nearly identical. Cirelli won two OHL Championships and a Memorial Cup, finishing his junior career scoring just under a point per game, recording 59 goals and 159 points in 181 games. O'Reilly has won two OHL Championships and a Memorial Cup with the London Knights and still has another season of OHL eligibility. O'Reilly is also scoring at just under a point per game, scoring 48 goals and 127 points in 135 games. Cirelli's work ethic has made him a successful NHL player. Of course, he has an abundance of skill, but what separates him and helped him record a career-high 27 goals and 59 points last season is just how hard he works every shift. Cirelli has never been the best player on his team at any level, something O'Reilly knows a bit about as well. Auston Matthews (34) and Anthony Cirelli (71). Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images The 19-year-old finished fourth in goals and third in points on his team, overshadowed offensively by Easton Cowan, Denver Barkey, Kasper Halttunen, Sam Dickinson and Oliver Bonk, but no player received more trust to shut down the opponent's top line than O'Reilly. Advertisement Although Howard is NHL-ready and O'Reilly is likely two years away, O'Reilly's best traits might translate to the NHL better than Howard's, and he fills a role that's hard to find, a two-way middle-six center. A strong start to his season with the Knights could help O'Reilly land a spot on Team Canada's World Junior roster. With several players graduating from the Knights to professional hockey, O'Reilly is expected to garner a much larger role this season. Lightning acquire Sam O'Reilly from Oilers in exchange for Isaac Howard Lightning acquire Sam O'Reilly from Oilers in exchange for Isaac Howard The Lightning announced late Tuesday that they have acquired prospect Sam O'Reilly from the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for Isaac Howard. O'Reilly was originally drafted by the Oilers in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft, 32nd overall. Sam O'Reilly Drafted 32nd Overall by Edmonton; A Two-way, Power Forward in the Making Sam O'Reilly Drafted 32nd Overall by Edmonton; A Two-way, Power Forward in the Making The Oilers traded into the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft to select the London Knights center, Sam O'Reilly
CTV News
4 days ago
- Sport
- CTV News
Newly acquired Howard sees ‘great fit' for him on skilled Oilers squad
The Edmonton Oilers have acquired a top U.S. college player, Isaac Howard, in exchange for Sam O'Reilly in a swap of prospect forwards.
National Post
4 days ago
- Sport
- National Post
Edmonton Oilers deal with Lightning for Hobey Baker winner Ike Howard
The Edmonton Oilers have brought in the NCAA's top player, trading prospect forward Sam O'Reilly to the Tampa Bay Lightning for Hoby Baker award winner Ike Howard on Tuesday. Article content Howard had 52 points (26 goals, 26 assists) in 37 games in a historic season for Michigan State, which won both the conference tournament and the regular-season championship to become the first program to capture the Big Ten Double. Article content Article content The Oilers have signed him to a three-year entry-level contract. 'I've watched every single Oilers playoff game in the last couple years,' said Howard, who played two years with the Spartans, earning 88 points (34 goals, 54 assists) over 73 games, and is fresh off a gold medal at the 2025 world hockey championship in May with Team USA. 'Just watching, it's such high-paced, skilled and fast. Work ethic first, I think that's kind of exactly my game and I think that's why this could be such a great fit and why I was really excited.' Article content But before you go penciling the promising 21-year-old's name on the top line next to Connor McDavid, or even with Leon Draisaitl on an Oilers second line in desperate need of a sidekick to fit with the NHL's reigning goal scorer, it might be prudent to remember Howard, drafted 31st overall by the Lightning in 2022, has yet to play a minute in the pros. Or attend a professional fall training camp, for that matter. Article content Still, Howard holds high expectations of himself when it comes to the potential of running with the Oilers' big dogs. Article content Article content 'I think that's an unreal opportunity, I don't think you can get any better than that, those are two of the best players in the world. Could be the two best. It's pretty incredible, I can't wait to share the ice with those guys, pick their brain,' said Howard. Article content Article content 'They're both different in their own ways and they're both so talented and so good, so just hearing that is pretty incredible.' Article content What this move does, is put the Oilers a couple years further ahead in terms of the development pipeline when considering the piece they had to give up in return, because to get something, you have to give something. Article content And O'Reilly was on track to one day become the third-line centre for the Oilers, who may have ended up having a change of heart at that spot earlier this off-season, when they signed trade-deadline acquisition Trent Frederic to an eight-year deal. The 19-year-old O'Reilly is coming off of a Memorial Cup championship season where he recorded 71 points (28 goals, 43 assists) in 62 games with the London Knights, while adding 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists) in 17 playoff games on the way to back-to-back Ontario Hockey League championships.
CBC
4 days ago
- Sport
- CBC
Edmonton Oilers acquire Isaac Howard from Lightning in exchange for Sam O'Reilly
Despite being selected in the first round of the 2024 NHL entry draft, the Edmonton Oilers have decided to part ways with forward Sam O'Reilly. The Oilers announced Tuesday night they have acquired 21-year-old forward Isaac Howard from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for O'Reilly, who was selected 32nd overall in the 2024 entry draft. The club also announced that Howard has agreed to a three-year entry-level contract beginning in 2025-26. The five-foot-11 Howard skated in 37 games at Michigan State in 2024-25, registering 26 goals and 26 assists for 52 points. The lofty totals earned the left-shot winger a Hobey Baker Award as the NCAA's top player. The club also announced that Howard has agreed to a three-year Entry Level Contract beginning in 2025-26. Selected by the Lightning with the 31st overall selection in 2022 NHL draft, the Hudson, Wisc., native spent two impressive seasons with the Spartans compiling 34 goals and 54 assists for 88 points over 73 games. This past spring, Howard earned a gold medal at the 2025 world hockey championship seeing action in four games and tallying one assist for the U.S. The 19-year-old O'Reilly skated in 62 regular-season games with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League last season, recording 28 goals and 71 points. The Toronto native proceeded to play in 17 games during the OHL playoffs, netting seven goals and 22 points to help the Knights win the J. Ross Robertson Cup as OHL champions for a second season in a row. O'Reilly's 22 post-season points and plus-24 rating both ranked third among all London skaters. He played a key role in the Knights winning the organization's third Memorial Cup, skating in five games and recording two goals and five points.
