Finley on waivers

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.

Michael Fornabaio