Former 2nd round pick claimed by rival team during Olympic roster freeze!

The National Hockey League is currently in the middle of a period where player movement is strictly restricted, known simply as the Olympic Roster Freeze, but in spite of that we do have a player on the move on Saturday.

NHL insider Elliotte Friedman has confirmed that Tampa Bay Lightning forward Jack Finley has been claimed by a rival team on Saturday after he was placed on waivers by the Lightning on Friday. According to Friedman, Finley is now the newest member of the St. Louis Blues with the Blues putting in a waiver claim for the 23 year old centerman.

Finley has never played for any team other than the Lightning and has been with the organization since they drafted him in the second round (57th overall) of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. Over his NHL career Finley has appeared in a total of 23 NHL games, 22 of which came this season, and has 2 goals and 1 assists for 3 career points at the NHL level.

There is an interesting little wrinkle here for Finely as a result of the Olympic roster freeze, one that will give him a lot more time to get adjusted to life in a new city. Since the league has effectively shut down during the Olympic window, Finley won't have to report to the Blues until the 17th of this month. That gives him a lot of extra time to get situated and acclimated to his new environment, a nice bonus for a player that, prior to today, had never played for any other NHL team.