The Islanders made a pair of roster moves leading into tonight’s game against San Jose. Stefan Rosner of The Hockey News relays that defenseman Mike Reilly was activated off LTIR while winger Matt Martin was activated off injured reserve.
Reilly has been out since the beginning of November when he suffered a concussion. However, that hasn’t been what has kept him out this long. While undergoing testing as a result of the concussion, it was discovered that the 31-year-old had an undiagnosed heart defect. Fortunately, Reilly told reporters including Newsday’s Andrew Gross (Twitter link) that the issue has been corrected and there are no long-term concerns. He has been skating with the team lately but despite the activation, he’s not expected to play against the Sharks.
Reilly has played in 11 games this season and had been playing a regular role before suffering the concussion. He didn’t record a point in those outings while averaging 15:45 per game. For his career, he has 122 points in 411 appearances over parts of 10 NHL seasons.
As for Martin, he last played in mid-January and had been dealing with a lower-body injury. The 35-year-old eventually earned a contract off an extended PTO but his role has been quite limited this year when he has played. Through 24 games, he has just one assist along with 68 hits in less than eight minutes a night of ice time.
Great news for Illinois native Mike Reilly, It could have been alot worse.