The Carolina Hurricanes announced this morning that defenseman Mike Reilly will be placed on waivers as Jordan Staal comes off injured reserve.
The captain's return forces a roster decision, and the Hurricanes made it before tonight's game against the Kraken. Reilly is the one who goes on the wire.
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The team announced that it activated Staal from injured reserve and that Reilly will be placed on waivers, calling it the "Welcome back, Captain" moment in its post. That is all the Hurricanes have said so far.
Reilly is a 33-year-old defenseman from Chicago, a 2011 fourth-round pick (98th overall) of the Columbus Blue Jackets. He is a right-now bargain for anybody who needs help on the back end.
Any team can put in a claim. If nobody does, Reilly would be free to clear and stay in the Carolina organization, but nobody should assume that happens.
Will another team claim Mike Reilly off waivers?
Teams have a real reason to look. Reilly has 468 NHL games behind him, with 19 goals and 116 assists, so he is a known quantity who has been through the grind.
He also carries a cap hit of $850,000 and is on an expiring deal, a cheap rental for a team short on defense. That is exactly the profile that gets claimed.
This season he has played 8 games for Carolina, with 2 assists and a +4 rating. He hasn't been a liability on a team that sits first in the NHL.
That is what makes this move interesting. The Hurricanes are 15-3-2 and have won three straight, so this isn't a team scrambling. It looks like a numbers decision, with Staal back and one body too many.
We think losing Reilly for nothing would be a mistake for a contender. A depth defenseman who has put up a +4 in a small sample is useful when injuries hit in January, and the cost of keeping him is small.
Reilly has playoff experience too, with 23 postseason games on his résumé. That matters to a team that expects to play deep into the spring.
Staal's return is welcome news for Rod Brind'Amour. The 38-year-old has been out with a calf injury and has no points in his 6 games this season, but his veteran presence down the middle is what Carolina wanted back.
Carolina plays the Kraken tonight, and the waiver process will play out in the meantime. We will keep tabs on whether another team puts in a claim for Reilly.
This article was written with the help of artificial intelligence, based on public reports and official sources.
What happens with Mike Reilly on waivers?
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