Kammala jumla mai zuwa: McIlrath yana da sansanin horo mara kyau a cikin 2016 kuma ya shafe farkon farkon kakar 2016-17 a matsayin mai tsaron gida, yana yin bayyanar guda ɗaya kawai tare da ƙungiyar kafin a sanya shi a kan 'yanci a ranar 27 ga Oktoba. An sake sanya shi ya buga wasanni hudu a AHL tare da Wolf Pack kafin Rangers ya siyar da shi zuwa Florida Panthers a musayar D Steven Kampfer da kuma zagaye na 7 na zagaye a ranar 8 ga Nuwamba, 2016. Bayan wasanni biyar tare da Panthers, da kuma aiki a AHL tare da haɗin gwiwa, Springfield Thunderbirds, an yi musayar Mcllrath a karo na biyu a cikin kakar wasa ta Panthers zuwa Detroit Red Wings tare da zaɓin zagaye na uku na zagaye a cikin
2017 NHL Entry Draft a musayar Thomas Vanek a ranar 1 ga Maris, 2017. An sanya shi zuwa Red Wings 'AHL affiliate, da Grand Rapids Griffins. McIlrath ya yi rikodin taimako hudu a wasanni 21 don Griffins a lokacin kakar wasa ta yau da kullun. A lokacin wasan karshe na Calder Cup na 2017, ya yi rikodin taimako biyar, da kuma mafi kyawun ƙungiyar da aka kara da 10 a cikin wasanni 19 na wasan karshe, kuma ya taimaka ya jagoranci Griffins zuwa Calder Cup.