The Isaac Howard saga has finally ended in Tampa as the Lightning traded his rights to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for center Sam O’Reilly.
Howard won the Hobey Baker Award as the NCAA’s top hockey player, scoring 52 points with 26 goals and 26 assists with Michigan State this past season. The 21-year-old was selected by the Lightning in the first round of the 2022 NHL Draft after a successful season with the US National U18 team. Howard had said he would return to Michigan State for his final season, expressing his desire to win a national championship. After being drafted by the Lightning, Howard and the Lightning could never agree on an entry-level contract.
The Lightning were all set to sign Howard this spring after the NCAA Tournament, but the expectation was that Howard would be assigned to Syracuse, the Lightning’s AHL Affiliate. That did not sit well with Howard and his camp. After the trade, the Oilers announced they had signed Howard to a three-year contract. He is expected to make his debut with the Oilers this season.
O’Reilly had 71 points, 28 goals, and 43 assists in 68 games with the Memorial Cup Champion London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League this past season. The 19-year-old was the 32nd pick of the 2024 NHL Draft.
The Howard trade had been in the works since the NHL draft in late June, but GM Julien BriseBois found no one willing to accept what the Lightning wanted in return for Howard.
So, what are the Lightning getting in Sam O’Reilly? O’Reilly is a solid two-way center who is also solid defensively and is always a threat to score on the ice. He is also a solid special-teams player, playing both on the penalty kill and the power play. He is a hard, physical competitor who creates many scoring chances in front of the net. He is currently projected as a bottom-six forward and will be given a chance to win a roster spot during training camp. O’Reilly is a solid prospect, and given the circumstances surrounding the Howard saga, this was the best outcome the Lightning could hope for.
In other Lightning news, the team re-signed forward Gage Concalves to a two-year contract worth $1.2 million AAV. Concalves scored eight goals and had 12 assists in his rookie season in Tampa.
Speaking to reporters via Zoom, Goncalves is happy to be back in Tampa. “All we’ve ever kind of known is Tampa and Syracuse and the way the development staff is and everybody in that organization. It really means a lot to sign this deal with them, and hopefully I can just keep growing as a player and kind of as a person in Tampa.”
Goncalves has a couple of goals for this 2025-26 season. “I definitely want to shoot the puck a little bit more this year and be more of a dual threat because I think it just helps our team, and it makes good players a lot better if they can kind of have that double threat to them,” Goncalves said. “But I’d still say playmaking is probably my best ability.”
The Bolts have also had a couple of other free-agent signings. The team signed forward Pontus Holmberg to a two-year deal worth $1.55 AAV.Holmberg played in 68 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs last season and had 26 points.
What can Lightning fans expect from Holmberg? He gave a sneak peek of his game and what he will bring to the Lightning after his signing. “They can expect hard work, of course. I’m a pretty strong guy in the corner with the puck, good puck protection. Then I hope I can score a little bit more than last season. I know I can do more offensively, but my game starts with defense.”
That is good news for the Lightning, as defense was a significant weakness during their first-round playoff matchup with Florida.
After the Holmberg signing, the Lightning signed forward Jakob Pelletier to a three-year contract. Pelletier will be on a two-way contract for the 2025-26 season, and then the deal will convert to a one-way contract for the final two years. Pelletier split his time between the Calgary Flames and the Philadelphia Flyers last season. He played in 49 games and tallied seven goals and 19 assists.
To start the season, Holmberg and Pelletier are expected to get minutes on the third line with Yanni Gourde.