One piece of the Isaac Howard and Sam O’Reilly trade is back in the OHL, while the other is staying in the NHL.
We won’t fully understand the impact of the 1-for-1 trade between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Edmonton Oilers for a few years, but one piece will be staying at the NHL level, while the other is heading back to the OHL.
On Wednesday, the Lightning sent Sam O’Reilly back to the OHL’s London Knights for his third year.
Meanwhile, Howard, who scored in the Oilers’ 3-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday, will have a role on opening night in the Oilers’ lineup.
Where exactly he will be in the lineup is yet to be determined, according to Oilers radio play-by-play voice Cam Moon. But it’s obvious what he can bring to the roster.
“You can see the tremendous skill level that he has, and I know it’s a big jump from the NCAA to the National Hockey League,” Moon said. “There’s going to be an adjustment period, I’m sure, but again, what we’ve seen is only a small snippet.
“We don’t have a huge sample size right now, but in the small sample size, a great level of skill, has a nose for the net, as you’d expect, and that is something I will look at. I’m sure Oilers fans everywhere will look at in the future as we look ahead as he continues to be an offensive player.”
O’Reilly spending another year in London isn’t a bad thing, either, Moon said. His time at the highest level will come with a little more growth in an organization that can wait on him, while Howard’s time at Michigan State has shown that he can jump into NHL-level situations in 2025-26.
“Ike Howard looks like he’s farther along in his development and more NHL-ready right now, where a guy like Sam O’Reilly, who I don’t doubt will be an NHL player also, but just not right now,” Moon said. “There’s a little more development to be had. I think this is one of those deals where it works well for both teams and both players.”
Watch Avry Lewis-McDougall’s latest video column for more.
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