Curse expected to be broken in Edmonton next season!

Earlier this week, the Edmonton Oilers acquired 21-year-old forward Isaac Howard from the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday in exchange for forward Sam O’Reilly, who was selected 32nd overall in the 2024 draft. The Oilers believe Howard is ready to enter the NHL immediately and signed out of Michigan State Hockey and be in Edmonton’s opening night lineup.

The addition of Howard, along with 2022 NHL Draft first rounder Matthew Savoie, to the roster looks promising for the Oilers, but for Allan Mitchell of the Athletic, they bring the chance of breaking a curse in Edmonton. He writes:

“Despite names like Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl playing their rookie seasons in Edmonton, no Oilers player has won the Calder Trophy as the league’s rookie of the year.”

Mitchell then wonders if Howard or Savoie could break Oilers’ Calder Trophy curse?

While Mitchell does not want to put too much pressure on the young forwards, he wonders if one of them could finally break the curse for the Oilers.

“No one should expect both to thrive immediately, so the idea of a rookie of the year award is no easy sell in July. However, both men may have a chance to play with McDavid or Draisaitl, and that alone gives the duo an advantage over other Calder Trophy hopefuls.”

Howard finished with 52 points (26 goals, 26 assists) in 37 games while helping Michigan State win the Big Ten regular-season and conference tournament titles and earning the Hobey Baker award as the NCAA’s top player. He immediately agreed to a three-year entry-level contract beginning in 2025-26.

Combine him with Savoie, and the Oilers suddenly have two very interesting and young top-nine options heading into the new season. One that could hoist the Calder trophy.