yahoo
In a pair of roster transactions executed on Saturday afternoon, the Carolina Hurricanes made moves in advance of their NHL Global Series clash with the Seattle Kraken. One of those decisions involved placing defenseman Mike Reilly on waivers, a necessary step to create roster space for Jordan Staal, who was activated from injured reserve.
Just one day later, Reilly found a new home. According to a report from Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the Colorado Avalanche claimed the 33-year-old blue liner off waivers on Sunday.
Reilly's 2023-24 stat line, as noted by CBSSports.com's RotoWire staff, includes two assists, nine shots on goal, six blocked shots, and 15 hits across eight NHL appearances. He could make his Colorado debut as soon as Wednesday when the Avalanche face Utah.
With star defenseman Cale Makar expected to miss approximately two weeks due to a lower-body injury, Reilly offers valuable defensive depth for Colorado. From Carolina's perspective, Reilly was a logical candidate to be waived, as he had not been a regular in the team's defensive pairings over the past month.
Reilly, who has skated in parts of 12 NHL seasons with seven different franchises, will be playing for his eighth team once he suits up for the Avalanche. Over 468 career games as a defenseman, he has accumulated 135 points (19 goals, 116 assists). During his time with Carolina last season, Reilly appeared in 42 games and recorded nine points. His career has also included stops with the Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins, Minnesota Wild, New York Islanders, Florida Panthers, and Ottawa Senators.
Key Analysis
Long regarded as a depth defenseman, Reilly is poised to log shifts for an Avalanche squad that is currently in need of extra bodies on the blue line. His addition provides temporary relief while Makar recuperates, and his experience across multiple organizations could prove useful in a pinch.
Originally reported by yahoo.