Player Discussion Mike Reilly

[schnapshot]

Had an alright game tonight, but made a few mistakes.

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[Gabriiel40]

Had an alright game tonight, but made a few mistakes.

How was he compared to Benn or Morrow or Schlemko?

 

[schnapshot]

How was he compared to Benn or Morrow or Schlemko?

Pretty similar to Morrow, at least more physical from what I’ve noticed.

Made a real nice defensive play on a 2 on 1 at the beginning of the game (first shift). He had some PP time where he ripped a one timer in the glass.

Definitely a project, but not a bad game from a guy joining a new team and a new system...

 

[donghabs98]

My first impression of him was

-A faster, more aggressive Joe Morrow (Was prone to making similar defensive mistakes as Morrow)
-A more offensive upside version of Nathan Beaulieu (Can actually shoot and seems to have a bigger skill set)

It is only one game so I can't really make an informed decision on him yet, although I do get a sense why there was hype around him coming out of college and feel that he is the type of defenseman that the Habs wanted Beaulieu to be.

 

[Runner77]

At times like these, I wish we had a better D coach than JJD. At least he's getting an opportunity here that he couldn't in Minny.

 

[donghabs98]

At times like these, I wish we had a better D coach than JJD. At least he's getting an opportunity here that he couldn't in Minny.

Well that Larry Robinson guy was available (many times) , said something about wanting to come back here and is a proven winner, probably should have given him a chance

 

[Runner77]

Well that Larry Robinson guy was available (many times) , said something about wanting to come back here and is a proven winner, probably should have given him a chance

Ha, isn't it always about who you know, lol.

This is one guy that Bergevin should have referred to as a "diamond-in-the-rough".

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

He's got a better toolbox than the rest of the bottom pairing fodder we've seen this year ( Davidsson,Morrow, Streit,Schlemko,Benn,etc.) so there's that at least. It's up to him weather or not he can reach his potential but I suspect he'll get every chance with us. He did pretty good in his first game for what it's worth, there's some room for improvement but he did more good than bad.

 

[mariolemieux66]

He's got a better toolbox than the rest of the bottom pairing fodder we've seen this year ( Davidsson,Morrow, Streit,Schlemko,Benn,etc.) so there's that at least. It's up to him weather or not he can reach his potential but I suspect he'll get every chance with us. He did pretty good in his first game for what it's worth, there's some room for improvement but he did more good than bad.

Its unfortunate that he was paired up with Benn that doesn't know what to do with the puck. Twice i noticed Reilly passing the puckcross ice to Benn who had space and just passed it to the forwards and the Islanders broke the play. I want to see how Reilly does when under a hard forecheck. Reilly and Mete should be on the 2nd PP.

 

[le_sean]

Yeah he wasn’t perfect but most of the mistakes were thanks to Benn. He’s much better than the other bottom pairing scrubs. Great skating ability, I think he’ll get better with increased confidence.

 

[Redux91]

My first impression of him was

-A faster, more aggressive Joe Morrow (Was prone to making similar defensive mistakes as Morrow)
-A more offensive upside version of Nathan Beaulieu (Can actually shoot and seems to have a bigger skill set)

It is only one game so I can't really make an informed decision on him yet, although I do get a sense why there was hype around him coming out of college and feel that he is the type of defenseman that the Habs wanted Beaulieu to be.

He screams "better beaulieu", and thats good enough for me honestly

 

[Runner77]

Reilly has intriguing tools and may just be a late bloomer.

Pronman's take on Reilly in 2013:

The Good: When you think of Mike Reilly, you think of a defenseman with upside, plain and simple. At any given moment, he can pull off a highlight reel play. He is a high-end skater, puck handler, and passer. His footwork is good, as he glides well after each step. He has a powerful stride, as well as excellent top speed. Reilly's creativity is top notch; he has the ability to see teammates in difficult spots and he can make plays through tight lanes.

The Bad: Reilly is still a bit of a work in progress. His defensive play can leave a bit to be desired in terms of his positioning. Due to his aggressive offensive nature, he can open his team up to counterattacks a tad too much. He will make stops, as well as have some good defensive games, but when he is off in his own end, he is clearly off. He also still has a slight frame, meaning he can be outmatched physically.

Mike Russo in Sept. 2016:

His ability to get up and down the ice is elite, and he already may be the Wild’s best defenseman at walking the blue line to create shots. Assistant coach Scott Stevens has already noticed that attribute, along with his vision, speed and “nice, firm pass.”

“He doesn’t make soft, lazy passes,” said the Hall of Fame defenseman. “I like that.”

This is interesting -- there was at least one other team that was in on Reilly this time out:




Habs were part of a group of clubs vying for Reilly when he became a free agent back in 2015:



He ended up choosing the Wild, as reported in June 2015:

The Mike Reilly sweepstakes ended today. He's signing with the Wild.

The deal, which can't be official until Wednesday, is a a two-year, $1.85 million contract (plus bonuses), sources say.

The former Gophers defenseman, who became a free agent June 16 when he didn't sign with the Columbus Blue Jackets, was the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and a Hobey Baker finalist.

The Chicago-born, Minnesota-raised Reilly chose the Wild over the Chicago Blackhawks, Los Angeles Kings and Pittsburgh Penguins. He met with 10 teams at the recent combine.

The Habs weren't a finalist on Reilly's list, but his choosing the Wild may have been influenced by this:

Reilly’s dad, Mike, is a minority investor with the Wild’s ownership group.

The Habs are interested in free agent defenseman Mike Reilly

Former Gophers defenseman Mike Reilly talks about choosing Wild

Most glowing report of his abilities comes from The Hockey News:

Has tremendous offensive ability, as he sees the ice well and has excellent mobility to join the rush. Is also a solid puck mover whose stick is always active and effective.

This looks like a nice upside player. Here's hoping they give him plenty of ice time.

 

[Runner77]

A couple of clips featuring his slap shot:

 

[jaffy27]

Well that Larry Robinson guy was available (many times) , said something about wanting to come back here and is a proven winner, probably should have given him a chance

That ship has sailed a loooonnng time ago, let's move on.

 

[Kriss E]

Paul Coffey in the making, I have a hunch.

 

[Natey]

Good to see our Trade Deadline acquisition help us pick up some important points on the road to the playoffs!

 

[Habs Halifax]

Reminds me of Beaulieu. Lots of skill and makes good and bad plays. I do like what I see so far and lets see if he can improve with more NHL ice time for the rest of the year.

 

[TennisMenace]

Here is hoping.

 

[member 256847]

Good to see our Trade Deadline acquisition help us pick up some important points on the road to the playoffs!

Only need a 19-game winning streak and we’re in!

 

[Pacciosoftie]

Reminds me of Beaulieu. Lots of skill and makes good and bad plays. I do like what I see so far and lets see if he can improve with more NHL ice time for the rest of the year.

Yes but he has more CHaracter and less “off-ice issues”.

 

[Leon Lucius Black]

He made mistakes, but the positive was a lot of the mistakes he was able to fix with his speed.

 

[Habs100]

Yeah he wasn’t perfect but most of the mistakes were thanks to Benn. He’s much better than the other bottom pairing scrubs. Great skating ability, I think he’ll get better with increased confidence.

I just worry about his puck skills. He bobbled the puck a few time that lead to turnovers or failed zone exits. Time will tell if he's steady enough.

 

[Whitesnake]

Fun project to work with. Just like Valiev should be. Better to have those kinds of projects than the slow and old ones.

 

[Bazeek]

I just worry about his puck skills. He bobbled the puck a few time that lead to turnovers or failed zone exits. Time will tell if he's steady enough.

I'm a Wild fan, but I caught the first period or so of the game last night because I was curious to see if Julien would play Reilly much. He ended up leading the team in TOI?! That's the sort of thing could do him a world of good.

Anyway, I wanted to say that he's actually very good in terms of "puck skills" and I think you'll see more of that early on as he settles in and gets more comfortable with the new system. He also tends to be quite confident with the puck and what he does with it; it looks like someone already quoted Stevens' line about "a nice, firm pass." On the powerplay especially you'll see him try to make things happen, and most of the time he'll pull it off.

The big thing he's going to need to work on is his decision-making and figuring out what works and what doesn't in the NHL. He figured it out in college, he figured it out in the AHL, and I think he'll figure it out in the NHL if he's given time and some room to make mistakes. In the meantime you'll see plenty of flubs and it's going to piss you off. This is the ideal time for him to be working that stuff out, when he doesn't have to worry about "making an impact" to avoid being scratched next game. Because Reilly's idea of "making an impact" has typically been "creating offense", and that's probably not what he should be focusing on at this point in his career.

He could still crater completely, but he's a great way to invest a 5th round pick + consistent ice time at the end of a season that's probably already a write-off. I hope he works out as well for you as Scandella did for Buffalo.

 

[Mike Mike Caron]

I'm a Wild fan, but I caught the first period or so of the game last night because I was curious to see if Julien would play Reilly much. He ended up leading the team in TOI?! That's the sort of thing could do him a world of good.

Anyway, I wanted to say that he's actually very good in terms of "puck skills" and I think you'll see more of that early on as he settles in and gets more comfortable with the new system. He also tends to be quite confident with the puck and what he does with it; it looks like someone already quoted Stevens' line about "a nice, firm pass." On the powerplay especially you'll see him try to make things happen, and most of the time he'll pull it off.

The big thing he's going to need to work on is his decision-making and figuring out what works and what doesn't in the NHL. He figured it out in college, he figured it out in the AHL, and I think he'll figure it out in the NHL if he's given time and some room to make mistakes. In the meantime you'll see plenty of flubs and it's going to piss you off. This is the ideal time for him to be working that stuff out, when he doesn't have to worry about "making an impact" to avoid being scratched next game. Because Reilly's idea of "making an impact" has typically been "creating offense", and that's probably not what he should be focusing on at this point in his career.

He could still crater completely, but he's a great way to invest a 5th round pick + consistent ice time at the end of a season that's probably already a write-off. I hope he works out as well for you as Scandella did for Buffalo.

The TOI might be an error of the stats people, Julien said he didn't play for 22 minutes, and it sure looked like he wasn't always on the ice.