The Edmonton Oilers did not want to give Sam O’Reilly to acquire Isaac Howard in an exchange this season. But to get a potential difference maker who could contribute immediately, the organization had to find a player who aroused the interest of Tampa Bay’s lightning. Little, if other prospects fit on the oilers in the account.
The Pipeline van de Oilers prospect has been given a big hit in the past year, making management limited options to supplement the top talent of the organization. According to a recent Analysis by David Staples, Almost all top 20 of the oilers fell in value or were moved from the system in 2024-25, with only Matt Savoie, Noah Philp and Maxim Berezkin trending up.
In that context, the trade of forward Sam O’Reilly for colleague -prospect Isaac Howard is now logical. While O’Reilly was hockey in Big Junior, the other prospects of Edmonton – including Max Wanner, Raphael Lavoie, Olivier Rodrigue, Phil Kemp and Luca Munzenberger – left the organization or rejected what few tradable assets with value left behind.
Staples argues that successful NHL development is not about producing a large amount of prospects every year, but about cultivating one or two elite young players who can be part of the core 12 of the team. The oilers have some prospects with a potentially clear future, but he notes that the organization is lagging behind the ideal average.
Now that the 2024-25 class is largely behind, the oilers had few options that the lightning of Tampa Bay may have found attractive. Although lightning knew that Howard did not stay, other teams could have put together competing offers. The relocation of the oilers to acquire Howard gave the team a top boy in the front that can contribute to the NHL level and may become a cornerstone player in the coming years.
Oilers hope that two prospects are taking a big step this season
If Savoie and Howard can settle in the top nine of the oilers and 30-plus equivalent points or ideally 40 to 50 say stacking that the agricultural system will have reached its mission: produce quality over quantity.
The O’Reilly-For-Howard trade might have been a necessary move, even if it meant that giving up one of the few prospects that was trending in the right direction. Don’t be shocked if the oilers move another prospect later in the season. The Handelsdeadline is an important opportunity for the team to acquire a player for his play -off push. Again, other teams will not want prospects to be trending in the wrong direction. They want players with top and a bright future.
Next: Oilers 3-step plan includes ahead, then Big Trade Deadline Move
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