Earlier this week, it was announced that defenseman Mike Reilly had narrowed his decision down to three or four teams, and the Columbus Blue Jackets were not one of them. Drafted 98th overall in the 2011 draft, Reilly exercised his rights under the Collective Bargaining Agreement to become an unrestricted free agent after June 15. Up until that point, General Manager Jarmo Kekalainen had a small window of opportunity to convince the 21-year-old to remain with the club.
The teams rumored to be in the mix were the Los Angeles Kings, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers and Minnesota Wild, however the Rangers camp were informed on Thursday that they are out of the picture, as per Larry Brooks.
Was always a long shot but Rangers have been notified they are out on Mike Reilly.
— Larry Brooks (@NYP_Brooksie) June 18, 2015
For the Wild, it makes sense. Reilly is a Minnesota-native and played for the University of Minnesota for the last three years. Last season, he posted 42 points (6 goals, 36 assists) in 39 games. Staying close to home and playing for the Wild would be a dream come true for this homegrown boy. His father is also a minority owner of the Wild.
Then again, having the chance to play for a team that has won the Stanley Cup three times in the last six years could be tempting on its own merit. With the team possibly losing both Johnny Oduya and Michal Rozsival, filling their need on defense with a 21-year-old puck-moving defenseman that has a great shot would be perfect timing.
However, not everyone is pleased with Reilly’s decision to leave and backing away from Columbus. When it comes to his former teammates, Reilly doesn’t seem to be particularly liked these days.
We didn’t want him anyway
— Ryan Johansen (@RyanJohansen19) June 17, 2015
Kekalainen is now focused on the draft ahead, ready to bring in a whole new slew of prospects to develop.
“Our focus here is on draft and development; we developed (the player), but he got away because of the way the CBA is written, that’s all,” Kekalainen said.
