Edmonton Oilers acquire Isaac Howard from Lightning in exchange for Sam O'Reilly

The Canadian Press

· Posted: Jul 09, 2025 9:15 AM EDT | Last Updated: 3 hours ago

Despite being selected successful the archetypal circular of the 2024 NHL introduction draft, the Edmonton Oilers person decided to portion ways with guardant Sam O'Reilly.

The Oilers announced Tuesday nighttime they person acquired 21-year-old guardant Isaac Howard from the Tampa Bay Lightning successful speech for O'Reilly, who was selected 32nd wide successful the 2024 introduction draft.

The nine besides announced that Howard has agreed to a three-year entry-level declaration opening successful 2025-26.

The five-foot-11 Howard skated successful 37 games astatine Michigan State successful 2024-25, registering 26 goals and 26 assists for 52 points. The lofty totals earned the left-shot winger a Hobey Baker Award arsenic the NCAA's apical player.

The nine besides announced that Howard has agreed to a three-year Entry Level Contract  beginning successful 2025-26.

Selected by the Lightning with the 31st wide enactment successful 2022 NHL draft, the Hudson, Wisc., autochthonal spent 2 awesome seasons with the Spartans compiling 34 goals and 54 assists for 88 points implicit 73 games.

This past spring, Howard earned a golden medal astatine the 2025 satellite hockey title seeing enactment successful 4 games and tallying 1 assistance for the U.S.

The 19-year-old O'Reilly skated successful 62 regular-season games with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League past season, signaling 28 goals and 71 points.

The Toronto autochthonal proceeded to play successful 17 games during the OHL playoffs, netting 7 goals and 22 points to assistance the Knights triumph the J. Ross Robertson Cup arsenic OHL champions for a 2nd play successful a row.

O'Reilly's 22 post-season points and plus-24 standing some ranked 3rd among each London skaters. He played a cardinal relation successful the Knights winning the organization's 3rd Memorial Cup, skating successful 5 games and signaling 2 goals and 5 points.