Columbus Blue Jackets Prospect Mike Reilly Will Not Sign
By Jason Funke
Mike Reilly officially became an unrestricted free agent yesterday on June 16.
Just one day later, Reilly has informed the Blue Jackets that will not sign with the team that took him in the fourth round of the 2011 draft.
Defenseman Mike Reilly has informed the club of his decision to sign elsewhere, per #CBJ GM Jarmo Kekalainen. More to come.
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) June 17, 2015
Reilly’s move is disappointing, but not surprising. The Blue Jackets have been preparing for this day for some time. Reilly reportedly declined to sign with the team last summer – even with the promise of immediate NHL ice time – and again declined to sign earlier this year when his NCAA team, the Minnesota Gophers, was eliminated from the NCAA Frozen Four Tournament.
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It was reported a few weeks ago that Reilly was planning to meet with nine teams. But the Columbus Dispatch is now reporting that that Reilly has narrowed that list to two or three teams:
"Sources told The Dispatch that Reilly has narrowed his list of possible destinations to two or three NHL clubs. Chicago, Minnesota, Los Angeles and the New York Rangers are among the clubs that have made a push to sign Reilly."
The Blue Jackets will not receive any compensation from the team that signs Reilly either. Last summer, when Chicago Blackhawks prospect Kevin Hayes became an unrestricted free agent and signed with the New York Rangers, Chicago received a draft pick as compensation. But the NHL only provides compensation when a former first-round pick refuses to sign – Mike Reilly was a fourth-round pick. Here is the rule, as explained by Hockey’s Future:
"The league will award a compensatory pick to a team that made a bona fide offer to a former first-round selection, but was unable to sign them to an NHL entry-level deal. The team is compensated with a second-round pick for an upcoming draft in the exact same selecting position as when the player was originally drafted. For example, if a club drafts a player fifth overall, but is unable to sign that player despite making a bona fide contract offer, then the club will be awarded the fifth pick in the second round of a subsequent NHL Draft."
So the Blue Jackets completely lose out on this, which might explain the immediate edit to Mike Reilly’s Wikipedia page:
Mike Reilly told 'Lumbus he wouldn't sign.
— theScore (@theScore) June 17, 2015
One Jackets fan expressed their rage on Wikipedia. http://t.co/HE9VDVcDm7 pic.twitter.com/iuo558lBoq
Good work, Jackets fans.
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