Avalanche Claim Depth Defenseman From Reigning Stanley Cup Champions

The Colorado Avalanche have poached a defenseman from the reigning Stanley Cup champions, claiming Mike Reilly off waivers from the Carolina Hurricanes.

Colorado could use the help. Injuries have started to catch up with the team, particularly on the blue line, and Reilly gives them another left-handed option without having to give up an asset to get him.

The 33-year-old has played 468 NHL games and spent time with seven different organizations. He's a solid defenseman who skates well, moves the puck efficiently and has consistently posted respectable underlying numbers throughout his career. He hasn't always been a coach's favorite, and there have been stops where he's struggled to earn much responsibility. But there's a reason he's stuck around the league this long.

Reilly appeared in eight games with Carolina this season, recording two assists while averaging 12:26 per game. The Hurricanes won seven of those contests. He was also part of their Stanley Cup championship last season, appearing in two playoff games and collecting two assists.

Colorado has taken this kind of gamble before. Last season, the Avalanche claimed Ilya Solovyov off waivers from the Calgary Flames in a similar low-risk, potentially high-reward move. These are the kinds of transactions that can quietly turn into significant upgrades without costing a team much of anything.

Solovyov even managed to score his first goal with Colorado shortly before being traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins. It wasn't a long-term arrangement, but the point remains. There's very little downside to taking a chance on a player who might have something left to give.

Reilly presents a similar opportunity.

There's also a bit of irony in Colorado bringing in a defenseman with an injury history of his own while trying to navigate its current injury problems. Josh Manson remains on long-term injured reserve with an ankle injury, Cale Makar is expected to miss two weeks with a lower-body injury, and Nathan MacKinnon is out for approximately a month after taking a cross-check to the side.

That's a lot of important pieces missing from the lineup. Reilly isn't going to replace what Makar or Manson brings, but he can skate, move the puck and give the remaining defensemen some help.

The Avalanche are coming off a 4-1 win over Montreal on Saturday at Bell Centre. They'll need to keep finding ways to win while their lineup gets healthier.

Reilly is a low-stakes bet. If he can settle into Colorado's system and provide some dependable minutes, the Avalanche may have found another useful piece without spending a thing to get him.