Losing Isaac Howard is a tough pill to swallow for the Tampa Bay Lightning and their fans, but they can be relieved to acquire a prospect of the calibre of Sam O'Reilly.
O'Reilly might not be as potent offensively as Howard, but what Howard lacks defensively and physically, O'Reilly excels.
Comparing any prospect to Anthony Cirelli can be unfair, but if any prospect resembles Cirelli, it's O'Reilly. Both O'Reilly and Cirelli are listed at 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, carrying relentless motors when attempting to regain possession of the puck. Their play styles are very similar, and it's where most of the comparisons are drawn from, but their stories through junior hockey are nearly identical.
Cirelli won two OHL Championships and a Memorial Cup, finishing his junior career scoring just under a point per game, recording 59 goals and 159 points in 181 games. O'Reilly has won two OHL Championships and a Memorial Cup with the London Knights and still has another season of OHL eligibility. O'Reilly is also scoring at just under a point per game, scoring 48 goals and 127 points in 135 games.
Cirelli's work ethic has made him a successful NHL player. Of course, he has an abundance of skill, but what separates him and helped him record a career-high 27 goals and 59 points last season is just how hard he works every shift. Cirelli has never been the best player on his team at any level, something O'Reilly knows a bit about as well.
The 19-year-old finished fourth in goals and third in points on his team, overshadowed offensively by Easton Cowan, Denver Barkey, Kasper Halttunen, Sam Dickinson and Oliver Bonk, but no player received more trust to shut down the opponent's top line than O'Reilly.
Although Howard is NHL-ready and O'Reilly is likely two years away, O'Reilly's best traits might translate to the NHL better than Howard's, and he fills a role that's hard to find, a two-way middle-six center.
A strong start to his season with the Knights could help O'Reilly land a spot on Team Canada's World Junior roster. With several players graduating from the Knights to professional hockey, O'Reilly is expected to garner a much larger role this season.
