Elliotte Friedman just reported that the Colorado Avalanche have claimed defenseman Mike Reilly off waivers from the Carolina Hurricanes.
The 33-year-old was placed on waivers Saturday, when Carolina made room for Jordan Staal coming off injured reserve. Less than 24 hours later, he has a new team.
Friedman's post was short and to the point: Colorado claims Reilly.
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For a team that gave up nothing but a waiver spot, it's a quiet, sensible pickup. Joe Sakic's club sits 12-6-3, third in the Central Division, and Jared Bednar now has another veteran option for the back end.
The details of Reilly's exit are in Carolina's decision to waive Mike Reilly. He appeared in eight games for the Hurricanes this season and finished with two assists and a +4 rating.
Vancouver was linked to him on Saturday, but the claim went to Colorado.
Where does Mike Reilly fit on the Avalanche blue line?
Nobody has said yet, and Bednar hasn't spoken about it. The Avalanche don't play again until Wednesday at Utah, so the lineup question has a few days to sort itself out.
What the numbers suggest is a depth role. Sam Malinski logged 24:19 in Saturday's 4-1 win in Montreal and Brett Kulak played 17:54, so the minutes on that blue line already have owners.
Reilly's résumé fits that kind of job. He has 135 points in 468 NHL games, with a 2011 fourth-round pick from Columbus as the starting point, and he's a 6-foot-2 right-handed...
Colorado gets a veteran for under $1 million, and he's on an expiring deal. At that price the risk is basically zero.
I like the move. A contender doesn't need a star from the waiver wire, it needs a defenseman who can slot in when someone is out, and Reilly has been that guy for years.
Whether he's in the lineup at Utah on Wednesday is the first thing to watch.
This article was written with the help of artificial intelligence, based on public reports and official sources.
How big a role will Mike Reilly have with the Avalanche?
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