Projection: Middle Six Upside

Tools: Small Area Handling, Finishing

Development Opportunities: Skating, Lateral Agility

Reilly has been a primary generator for the Marlboros this season, often leading the charge in transition, dictating play down the middle of the ice, and generating chances off the rush. He brings a well-rounded set of tools, combining quickness, puck skills, and a solid shot that can be lethal in spurts when everything is working in unison to push defenders back and create space. There is a solid underlying processing side to it all too, with a lot of his success coming from smart reads to get open and quickly firing home shots after picking up pucks in the slot. The work rate and effort are often there as well, with Miles frequently winning back possession and bringing real puck pursuit value to the table.

Like many at this stage, a lot of projecting forward hinges on skating. I think Miles will need to get more explosive with his strides and more agile on his feet to continue playing his transition style at the OHL level. If all goes right he could develop into a quality piece in the middle of the lineup who fights for pucks and chips in offensively.

Miles Reilly was displaying high level offensive vision all game, as evidenced by his three point (one goal, two assists) outing. His one goal was a good read, taking advantage of a miscue by Huron-Perth to open the scoring with dying seconds left in the first period. On top of his goal, his assists came as a result of his direct playmaking ability with both being primary assists. He showed the ability to find open teammates and create space as a plus puckhandler and skater.

Reilly played a notable two-way game, supporting the play in his defensive zone and executing on the small plays to get pucks out of his zone and transition up ice. He scored two, one he won a puck net front and then swiftly rifled it home from the slot. His second, he received a stretch pass for a breakaway and roofed one high over the goaltender’s shoulder, showcasing the finishing touch I’ve talked about before. Reilly has been a primary offensive catalyst for the Marlies’ every time I’ve seen them and it was nice that the theme held true once again.

Reilly’s skating was the engine behind his entire game, using a strong, fluid, powerful stride to carry pucks through the neutral zone and consistently generate offence off the rush. Shift after shift, he was the one transporting pucks coast to coast, dictating the game in transition. Upon entering the offensive zone, Braden was always looking to make something happen. He beat defenders wide, used delays to buy time, and picked apart the defence with clever passing through seams to the interior. All of this put him at the center of ETA’s offence, adding points on the scoresheet, but this combination of strong skater and transition impact was the key to me.