Will Nikita Kucherov be the next NHL player to hit 1,000 career points? After being sidelined since September due to injury, Tampa Bay Lightning [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning/] prospect Jack Finley made his season debut with the Syracuse Crunch on Dec. 18 against the Rochester Americans. Although Finley missed a lot of time, he has not looked rusty. In fact, he is thriving with the AHL [https://thehockeynews.com/ahl/]squad. In five games since returning from injury, Finley has two goals, four points, and a plus-5 rating. This includes an ongoing three-game point streak, where he has two goals and an assist over that span. Finley, 22, took a notable step forward in his development this past season. After having 12 goals and 21 points in 67 games in 2022-23, he had 13 goals and 32 points in 52 games with the Crunch last season. Now, he is showing signs of hitting a new level again this campaign. The Bolts selected Finley with the 57th overall pick of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. The 6-foot-6 center has the tools to blossom into an NHL talent [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning/latest-news/exciting-lightning-prospect-is-heating-up-big-time], and if he keeps this up, he could get his first chance on the Lightning's roster soon. We will need to wait and see how he builds on his hot start to the season from here.
