Will Edmonton Oilers fans regret the trade of Sam O’Reilly one day?
The junior-aged forward certainly is doing his part to make Oilers supporters wonder if their team made the right move in dealing O’Reilly to the Tampa Bay Lightning for fellow top prospect Isaac Howard last summer.
O’Reilly had one goal and three assists in the Memorial Cup final on Sunday, leading the Kitchener Rangers to a 6-2 win over the Everett Silvertips in Kelowna, B.C.
The Toronto native was named Memorial Cup MVP after notching three goals and five assists in four games.
By doing so, O’Reilly joined an exclusive club, becoming just the fourth player in history to win a league most outstanding player award, along with league playoff MVP and Memorial Cup MVP honours.
You might have heard of the others: Brad Richards (Rimouski Oceanic, 2000), Corey Perry (London Knights, 2005) and Mitch Marner (London, 2016).
O’Reilly, 20, and defenceman Jared Woolley were dealt to Kitchener from London in January after helping the Knights win the 2025 Memorial Cup and the 2024 and ’25 OHL championships.
O’Reilly, who has signed an entry-level contract, will try to make the Lightning at training camp next season. He also is eligible to play in the AHL.
Howard, 22, played his first 29 games with Edmonton this season after winning the Hobey Baker Award as top player in NCAA hockey in 2024-25 with Michigan State.
Howard was picked 31st overall by the Lightning in 2022, while O’Reilly went 32nd overall to the Oilers in 2024.
