Re-sign, or Release?: Mike Reilly

4 months ago  /  Lighthouse Hockey

You weren’t too bad, what would it take to stay? | Photo by Josh Lavallee/NHLI via Getty Images


The lefty defenseman was a great waiver claim. Should he be part of the plans for 2024-25 and beyond? With the Stanley Cup awarded in laaaaate June, the NHL draft and free agency decisions aren’t just around the corner — they’re basically here.
The Islanders have a few UFAs who played meaningful minutes either last season or for several seasons prior. One of the most recent additions is Mike Reilly, the defenseman who was claimed on waivers during an injury crunch. He ended up appearing in 59 regular season games — one more than both Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock, whose injuries helped create a place for him — plus five playoff games for the Islanders.
(In a cruel twist, the team that waived him went on to win the Stanley Cup.)
Reilly averaged 17:15 TOI per game and put up 6-18-24 in those 59 games. His underlying numbers matched up well with all of the Isles’ blueline regulars except #1 Noah Dobson. Reilly’s not a physical “shutdown” guy like some of the regulars, including Scott Mayfield, who played most of the season in an apparently injury-diminished form, but he is more mobile and a better puck mover. He can skate out of trouble, an attribute the Isles don’t have much of.
In short, Reilly was a net positive for the Isles last year. The only question on retaining him should be whether they can afford him. After his three-year, $9 million deal signed with Boston, he joined Florida on a one-year, $1 million deal. Even as a waiver claim, he’s probably earned a chance at a raise somewhere but not a return to his Boston-era rate (...right?). But maybe his camp thinks he can still command that after showing what he could do on a playoff bubble team.
Some questions:

At age 30, would he take a pay cut for a multi-year deal?
Or is his agent thinking his revival last season is enough to get bigger money and term elsewhere?
Or has Lou Lamoriello priced himself into a corner with all the other existing contracts on the blueline (Pulock and Pelech are signed long term, Noah Dobson and Alex Romanov will each hit RFA and need raises next summer)?

The dilemma is, as always: can they replace (or ideally upgrade) what they had with Reilly from elsewhere given current cap constraints and the free agency market?
Isles News

Andrew Gross does a draft preview for his Island Ice podcast. [Newsday/Soundcloud]
Dan and Mike also look ahead, on Islanders Anxiety with guest Ethan Sears of the Post. [LHH]
Mike Bossy’s family is raising awareness for lung cancer. [NHL]
Romanov will play in a charity game in Moscow of KHLers vs. NHLers. Not sure what charity. (It would be cool if it were for a “stop bombing Ukraine” charity but you know it’s not, that would lead to excommunication.) [THN]

NHL News

The Hall of Fame announced its new class, including Pavel Datsyuk (slam dunk), Jeremy Roenick (okay, sure I guess), Shea Weber (really?), and Colin Campbell as a builder (oh COME ON now). Decorated U.S. women’s stars Natalie Darwitz and Krissy Wendell-Pohl and longtime Caps and Predators GM David Poile are also inducted. [NHL]
More on Darwitz and Wendell-Pohl, longtime teammates. [NHL]
One more mock draft ahead of this weekend. [NHL]
The Red Wings paid the Sharks a second-round pick to take Jake Walman. Yzerplan! [TSN]
In-season acquisition Casey Mittelstadt gets a three-year, $17.25 million extension in Colorado. [TSN]
Lots of folks had nice things to say about Paul Maurice finally getting a Cup. [NHL]
Bourne: While that may have been their best shot, the Oilers are not done as Cup contenders. [Sportsnet]
The Smurfs are probably keeping Jacob Trouba but trying to offload Kakko. [TSN]
The NHL is really excited (sure...) about Fanatics — a company notorious for delivering overpriced crap to a shop or even a real MLB palyer near you — taking over production of all of the league’s uniforms. Hear the talking points and watch the video, no doubt an “authentic” version will be available for something like $300. [NHL]
I thought he already retired? Glen Sather announces he’s retired as a “Rangers executive.” [NHL]
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