The Tampa Bay Lightning placed forward Jack Finley on waivers Friday, as they had hoped he'd clear and be re-assigned to the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League. Unfortunately, that was not how things worked out.
The St. Louis Blues claimed Finley off of waivers, ending the 23-year-old's run with the Lightning. The Lightning picked Finley 57th overall during the 2020 NHL Draft, and with his size, there were certainly hopes he could turn into a big, physical defensive presence.
Ultimately, that plan never came to fruition, but now Finley is heading to a city with quite a few ties for both him, and his family. Finley was born in St. Louis while his father, Jeff Finley, played for the Blues during the early 2000s.
Finley's stint with the Lightning ends with him appearing in just 23 NHL games, where he scored two goals and added a single assist. He played 164 games for the Crunch spread across five seasons, where he had 40 goals and 44 assists.
If the Blues attempt to send Finley down to the AHL at any point in the future, the Lightning may have the opportunity to reclaim him, but there's always a chance he finds a way to stick in St. Louis.