5 Defenseman To Target In Free Agency Not Named Dougie Hamilton

Mike Reilly

Mike Reilly had a very interesting year. He had a career high in points with 27, but he scored exactly zero goals. He went 0 for 98 on shots, which will probably come with a correction this season. He has gotten a lot better every season, and Reilly was one of the few positives on the Ottawa Senators this season. After the Bruins traded for him, he showed he could be a very useful player.

The Bruins actually put a lot of faith in this kid after they acquired him. They played him 21 minutes a night in the final 15 games of the regular season, Then in the playoffs, the first of his career, he played north of 21 minutes again and put up four assists in 11 games. He actually had twice as many penalty minutes in the playoffs than he did during the regular-season games with the Bruins, but that could be equated to being a little amped for playoff hockey.

Reilly is going to have an interesting market, and teams might outbid the Devils for his services. Someone might overpay him. The market is weird for defensemen this season. Look at what the Flyers paid for Rasmus Ristolainen. However, Ristolainen is a big, right-handed defenseman. Reilly is neither of those things, and there seems to be a few on the market this season. If the Devils can get Reilly for a low-to-medium risk contract, then it could be worth it. Don’t break the bank for this guy, but he’s worth a look after putting together a really good season. He’s only 27 years old, so there is time for him to grow beyond his breakout season.