The Carolina Hurricanes are set to conclude NHL’s Global Series with a Saturday afternoon showdown with the Seattle Kraken.
The Canes took game one of the two-game set on Thursday and will look to improve to 16-3-2 with a win on Saturday.
Before the Kraken game, the Canes announced a pair of roster moves, and in one of the transactions, 33-year-old skater Mike Reilly is headed to waivers to make room for captain Jordan Staal.
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Carolina Hurricanes Cut Mike Reilly
If Mike Reilly passes through waivers, he will be assigned to AHL Chicago, but for now, he’s no longer a member of the Hurricanes roster.
CBSSports.com’s RotoWire staff wrote (about Reilly):
“In a corresponding move, Staal (calf) was removed from injured reserve ahead of Saturday’s contest against Seattle. Reilly has been a healthy scratch for the last 10 games. He has two assists, nine shots on net, six blocked shots and 15 hits in eight NHL appearances this season.”
Due to Reilly not really having a role with the Hurricanes over the last several games, he became the obvious candidate to go on waivers in favor of Jordan Staal’s return.
We’ve activated forward Jordan Staal from injured reserve. In addition, defenseman Mike Reilly will be placed on waivers.
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It’s a very welcome sign for the Hurricanes to have their captain, Jordan Staal, back, as he should add a boost to the Canes’ 2nd or 3rd line. Staal is in his 21st season in the NHL and is the reigning Conne-Smythe Trophy winner.
As for how it will affect the current Carolina Hurricanes, the defending Stanley Cup champions are humming right now and easily have one of the best offensive attacks in the NHL.
However, adding Staal’s leadership back to the ice will also pay dividends and only separate the Canes further in the Metro Division.
Carolina Hurricanes Cut Ties with 33-Year-Old Skater Before Kraken Game