The old Zucker Expressway or I-35Z, as it was dubbed because of the amount of times Jason Zucker used to travel the 235-mile stretch of Interstate 35 between the Twin Cities and Des Moines might have to be renamed for Mike Reilly this season.
As he did Tuesday night for the Wild's American Hockey League affiliate against Grand Rapids, the Wild defenseman could see a lot of action for Iowa depending on if coach Bruce Boudreau wants him in the big club's lineup on a given night.
Boudreau indicated Tuesday, a day after Reilly was assigned to Iowa, that his assignment would be very temporary.
One game after a tough season-opening performance in St. Louis, Reilly was a healthy scratch Saturday against Winnipeg. Christian Folin was inserted and played well in a victory, so Boudreau decided to go with the same lineup Tuesday against the Los Angeles Kings.
Instead of scratching Reilly again, the Wild thought it would be smarter for him to play for Iowa.
"You don't want young guys sitting when you have the opportunity to have them play," Boudreau said. "[Des Moines] is only a few hours down the road."
Boudreau said there will come a juncture where Reilly's "play [will] dictate where he is."
For Reilly to become an everyday NHL defenseman, he must become more efficient in his own zone. As a rookie last year, he played 29 games for Minnesota and 45 for Iowa, where he was a league-low minus-27.