The Edmonton Oilers acquired 2024-25 Hobey Baker Award winner Isaac Howard from the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday. The Oilers immediately signed Howard to an entry-level contract. Howard, 21, notched 26 goals and 52 points for Michigan State this season. Tampa Bay originally selected the winger (5-foot-11, 190 pounds) with the 31st overall pick of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.
Howard spent his freshman collegiate year at Minnesota-Duluth after rising through the U.S. National Team Development Program ranks. In his first season at Michigan State, he posted eight goals and 36 points in 36 games. His productivity exploded as a junior.
Using the leverage of saying he would become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2026, Howard declined to sign a contract with the Lightning. Thus, he forced Tampa to trade his rights.
In exchange for Howard, the Oilers traded forward prospect Sam O’Reilly to the Lightning. Selected by the Oilers with the 32nd pick of the 2024 Draft, the 19-year-old O’Reilly has been a valuable contributor to the two-time defending Ontario Hockey League champion London Knights. This year, O’Reilly tallied 22 points (28 goals, 43 assists) in 17 games during the OHL playoffs. London later went on to win the 2025 Memorial Cup.
