NY Islanders bring back defenseman Mike Reilly on a one year contract

Mike Reilly wanted to be back and the New York Islanders wanted him back.

That dynamic led to a tidy piece of business as team President and GM Lou Lamoriello announced the LHD was being brought back to Long Island on a one-year contract. "I think I fit, definitely, for sure," said Reilly on the clean-out day after the Isles were eliminated in the first round. "I'm hoping Lou and my agent can talk at some point here, and hopefully, it works out."

It did indeed work out, with the deal's term being a best-case scenario for the Islanders.

Reilly, who turns 31 later this month, will earn $1.2M next season. This is the second consecutive off-season where Reilly has inked a one-term contract. He signed with the Florida Panthers last off-season but was put on waivers once the team's blue line started to get healthier. The Islanders, who were battling multiple injuries at the time (Adam Pelech, Ryan Pulock, Sebastian Aho), were able to scoop him up and insert him into their lineup, where he remained.

In 59 games with the Isles, he scored a career-high six goals and added 18 assists while averaging 17:16 TOI a night. His skating and puck-moving ability added a different dimension to the Islanders' defense and Reilly also was part of the second unit power-play.

Entering the off-season, the Islanders had six defenseman under contract, including Samuel Bolduc, who spent most of the season as the seventh and eighth defenseman. With the signing of Reilly, Bolduc will likely remain the seventh defenseman with the Islanders potentially adding more depth later this off-season to avoid a repeat of happening to their depth last season.