Bob McKenzie first reported this morning that Joe Finley is on waivers. If he clears, he’s eligible to be sent to Bridgeport. Finley has been practicing with that Syosset/don’t-call-it-Bridgeport group. This seems to point in a direction, but of course final decisions aren’t due until tomorrow afternoon. The Islanders play their last Grapefruit-League split-squad games tonight in Ontario, and as far as we know Finley’s on one of those trips.
If he does wind up here, as contracts stand*, Finley, a fifth-year pro, would be the most-experienced pro defenseman on the Sound Tigers… barely. He has played 172 pro regular-season and playoff games. Of those waiver-exempt, Aaron Ness has played 170, and Dallas Jackson has played 169. Only counting NHL/AHL games, though, Finley is at 125; all of Ness’ 170 are at that level. If Matt Donovan (159) is gone, though, Finley would rank second in that count among all potential** Sound Tigers. Justin Johnson has played 317 pro games, 108 in the AHL. Chris Bruton has played 107 AHL games. And they’re the only others with over 100 combined AHL/NHL games on Bridgeport’s likely roster.
So, yeah, this team’ll be young.
*-Obviously leaving out Radek Martinek, who’s on an NHL tryout and had that reportedly minor injury early in the week.
**-And here assuming Casey Cizikas isn’t being sent down.