The newest prospect on the list is having another strong season in the Ontario Hockey League. Once he’s done in London, Sam O’Reilly could be heading to Syracuse this spring.
| Name | Sam O’Reilly |
| Position | Center |
| Age (as of October 1) | 19 |
| Height/Weight | 6’1″, 183 lbs. |
| Expected 2024-25 Team | London Knights |
| Draft – Year, Round | 1st Round (32nd) by Edmonton |
| Previous Rankings | NA |
| JustinG. Ranking | 3 |
| Final Rank | 5 |
Stats:
Our Thoughts:
Of all of the prospects that are in the system, Sam O’Reilly screams “ideal Lightning player” the loudest. He plays with a relentless motor. He is tough on a forecheck. There is physicality in his game. He won’t make a lot of mistakes with the puck. All of that would be enough to get him into the NHL, but he adds enough of an offensive element to give fans the hope that he will be an impact player once he reaches the league.
The 19-year-old was acquired for the rights to Isaac Howard over the summer when it became apparent that the differences between Howard and the Lightning weren’t going to be resolved. Julien BriseBois gave up a prospect that was on the cusp of the NHL for one that needed a little more time to develop, but fits in better with the Lightning’s philosophy. Howard was always an outlier in the way the Lightning draft while O’Reilly is more along the lines of what they look for when scouting young players.
He isn’t a the biggest or fastest player on the ice, but he plays with pace and a willingness to hunt down and hit any opponent that has the misfortune of possessing the puck while he’s on the ice. O’Reilly just never stops skating when he’s playing, and that makes up for any skating issues he might have.
The way he plays transfers well to the professional level. O’Reilly isn’t relying on a size or age advantage to dominate younger players in the OHL. It’s his work habits and puck skills that have led to his success and that should stay with him as he moves into the AHL and eventually the NHL. Right now, his floor is a bottom-six, energy forward in the NHL, but, if he’s able to continue to score, he could be an effective, play-driving second center that gets power play time while being a top penalty killer as well.
Comparing him to an existing player is likely to set him up for failure, but there are a lot of elements in his game that reminds people of Anthony Cirelli with a slightly more physical nature to his game. They’re putting up similar numbers in juniors with similar roles as leaders for their respective teams. O’Reilly is the captain of his London Knights squad this season while Cirelli was captain of the Oshawa Generals before being traded to the Erie Otters
O’Reilly has the defensive bona fides as he was named the top defensive forward last season by OHL coaches. He’ll also give the Lightning the type of player that is pretty rare in their system – a right-shot center. The 19-year-old isn’t the sniper they need on the power play, but he’ll give them a center that can handle face-offs on the right side of the ice, something that they are lacking a bit right now.
In terms of his development, he’ll be in London for the rest of the season (with the exception of his Team Canada duties at the Under-20 World Juniors). They’re expected to make another long run after back-to-back Memorial Cup Finals, and after that he should make his AHL debut with the Crunch on a try-out contract. He has already signed his entry-level contract, so expect him to be with Syracuse full-time in the 2026-27 season.
With some of the Lightning’s long-term deals starting to end over the next couple of seasons, he could be in line to be a regular in Tampa Bay as early as the 2027-28 season, especially if he can carry over his point production.
Your Thoughts:
“O’Reilly may be a strong long-term acquisition.”
“5 (Sam O’Reilly) and 6 (Jack Finley) are the top 2 future prospects.”
Highlight Videos:
O’Reilly gets the puck in open ice and makes a nice little shoulder fake to freeze the goaltender. Then he makes a pretty tight pass to this teammate for the easy back-door goal.
This is one of those plays that happens in juniors that probably doesn’t in the AHL or the NHL. O’Reilly does a nice job of taking the puck and putting himself in a position to pass for another back-door goal. However, as he moves up in competition, that time and lane is likely shut down by better, quicker defenseman. It’s still a really, really nice pass.
Now this play. This is what makes GM’s trade for a player. He’s harassing the defender along the boards, steals the puck from him, and then makes a no-look, behind-the-back pass right onto the stick of his teammate. This is the good stuff right here.
While we talk more about his passing and his ability to set up his teammates, don’t sleep on O’Reilly’s shot. He does have 60 goals in 163 games in the OHL. Here he snaps a quick one-timer from a dangerous spot. It is well-placed and on the goaltender before he can react. That’s the area O’Reilly gets most of his goals from. He’s not a long-distance scorer, but his willingness to play in front of the net will get him his fair share of goals.
