Mike Reilly to make Panthers debut against Columbus
Reilly signed a one-year, $1 million deal with Florida on the first day of free agency
Florida Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice has been happy with the way his team has defended so far this season.
There is a lot that goes into how a team defends, and those responsibilities fall on all five players on the ice.
When looking at Florida’s defensive corps though – a group that has featured, to this point, only two players who were with the team last season – it’s understandable that Maurice has liked what he’s seen.
That’s part of why the Panthers have dressed the same six blueliners for all 10 of the team’s games so far this season.
Until Monday.
Free agent acquisition Mike Reilly will make his Panthers debut when Florida hosts the Columbus Blue Jackets at Amerant Bank Arena.
Reilly has been a healthy scratch for each game since making Florida’s Opening Night roster out of training camp. He signed a one-year, $1 million deal on July 1.
"He can move a puck, he can skate," Panthers General Manager Bill Zito said that day. "He's a dynamic kind of two-way guy."
Maurice has said that due to the Panthers having so many new faces on defense, and how well they’ve played to this point, he’s been hesitant to make any changes.
“If you’d asked me before the opening game, I would say Mike would be in within the first three or four games,” Maurice said after Monday's morning skate.
Reilly moves the puck well and has a reputation for being responsible in his own end. How easily he acclimates himself to the way Florida defends, and attacks, as a five-man unit will be the one of the main things to keep an eye on with Reilly.
“He’s practices really, really hard, and we’ve had a couple games where some of our defense hasn’t been fantastic,” Maurice said. “It’s a perfect time to get a guy in.”
Reilly will replace Uvis Balinskis, another new addition to the Panthers this summer. Balinskis has been a particularly impressive story as Florida’s pro scouts found him in the Czech Extraliga, but he has looked like a seasoned NHL veteran since arriving on the scene.
“Everybody's kind of got their feet wet,” Maurice said of the defensemen. “And I think even when you take a player out now, he'll come back in with some confidence and some edge.”
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