The Hobey Baker Award winner, Isaac Howard, joins the Edmonton Oilers’ ranks following a trade made by the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday.
In this move, the Lightning obtained promising center Sam O’Reilly. Howard, 21, who recently finished his junior season at Michigan State University, also signed an entry-level contract with the Oilers.
Howard was selected by the Lightning in the first round of the 2022 draft, coming from the prestigious United States National Team Development Program. Previously, he played one season at Minnesota Duluth, where he accumulated six goals and 17 points in 35 games before transferring to MSU.
In East Lansing, Howard averaged a point per game in 36 encounters, contributing to the Spartans winning the Big Ten championship and advancing to the Division I men’s national tournament for the first time since the 2011-12 season.
His outstanding sophomore season set the stage for a junior campaign in which he recorded 26 goals and 52 points in 37 games. Howard ranked third nationally in goals and fifth in points, leading the Spartans to their second consecutive conference title and another tournament appearance, where they were eliminated in the first round.
The Hobey Baker Award, as the best male hockey player in the country, only increased Howard’s appeal as a prospect. The incorporation of a young forward like Howard represents for an organization seeking the championship, the possibility of having a top-level player with a favorable contract.
However, the Lightning failed to secure his signature, as it was reported in April that Howard would not sign with the team that selected him and would return to the university for his final year.
Had he returned to college and not signed, Howard would have become an unrestricted free agent in August 2026, which would have meant the Lightning would lose a high-caliber prospect without getting anything in return.
Now, the Lightning have acquired O’Reilly, who scored 28 goals and 71 points in 62 games with the London Knights in the OHL.
Howard’s signing to an entry-level contract (ELC) provides the cap-strapped Oilers with another player on an economical deal in an offseason where they parted ways with Viktor Arvidsson, Connor Brown, Evander Kane, John Klingberg, and Corey Perry to gain financial flexibility.
Howard’s arrival with the Oilers adds to an active day for college hockey in July, which began with Gavin McKenna, the projected No. 1 prospect for 2026, announcing his joining Penn State.
