Reilly Adding Experience as Reinforcement for Islanders

After Adam Pelech and Sebastian Aho both suffered upper-body injuries on Friday night, Lou Lamoriello acted quickly to reinforce his blue line.

The Islanders President of Hockey Operations and General Manager claimed Mike Reilly after the veteran defenseman was placed on waivers by the Florida Panthers. Lamoriello said Reilly is expected to join the team on Sunday. Pelech was placed on LTIR in a corresponding move.

The 6-foot-1, 196-pound native of Chicago, IL has played in 341 career NHL games with the  Minnesota Wild, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers, scoring 98 points (12 goals and 86 assists). In 139 American Hockey League games, Reilly has 80 points (18 goals and 62 assists) with the Iowa Wild and Providence Bruins.

Lamoriello cited Reilly's experience as a factor for scooping the defenseman off waivers, as opposed to making a long-term recall from Bridgeport, though the team did recall Grant Hutton as a reinforcement for Saturday's game against Philadelphia.

"We can bring in a more experienced person," Lamoriello said. "We're going to have a couple of young players in the lineup with our defense tonight. And it is a relatively young defense right now, which we're proud of as far as today and tomorrow. The major reason was the experience, 350 games compared to 10, 15 and 20 is quite a difference."

Reilly is a left-handed defenseman, which helps fill the void left by Pelech and Aho, who are also left shots. Lamoriello also cited the defenseman’s puck-moving ability and smooth skating as assets.  

The Islanders were familiar with Reilly’s game from his Boston days, with Lamoriello citing the Islanders playoff series against the Bruins in 2021. Reilly had a career-year in 2021, racking up 27 points (all assists) between Ottawa and Boston. Reilly was limited to two games with the Panthers this season.

“His skating is his asset and his puck moving ability is an asset,” Lamoriello said. “With Sebastian out and also Pelech out on that left side, he will help us there. As far as how we will fit in, only time will tell. You never know, but we've seen enough of him to know what we think he can and can't do even though he hasn't been given a much opportunity at this point.”

Samuel Bolduc is also expected to see an increased role while Pelech and Aho are out. Lamoriello called this stretch an opportunity for young defenseman, who only has 27 NHL games on his resume.

“There’s no question this is his opportunity to show what he's capable of doing,” Lamoriello said. “We feel and believe in him as far as what his abilities are. You can't teach size and strength and sense. We just have to get him to be just a little more competitive, not that he's not in certain areas, and now it's in his hands.”