Blues Claim Jack Finley Off Waivers, Add Size and Youth to Forward Group
The NHL’s trade freeze might be in full effect, but that hasn’t stopped the St. Louis Blues from making a roster move.
The team has claimed 23-year-old center Jack Finley off waivers from the Tampa Bay Lightning, giving them a young, physically imposing piece down the middle. Due to the league’s roster movement rules during the All-Star break, Finley won’t be required to report to St.
Louis until February 17.
For the Blues, this isn’t just a minor transaction-it’s a low-risk investment in a player who still carries some intriguing upside.
Finley was originally selected 57th overall by Tampa Bay in the 2020 NHL Draft. At the time, he wasn’t exactly lighting up the WHL stat sheet with Spokane, but his six-foot-six frame and ability to play center made him a compelling project pick. He finished his draft year with 57 points, and while his offensive production plateaued a bit-he tallied 50 points in 2021-22 after a pandemic-disrupted 2020-21 campaign-his size and two-way potential kept him on the radar.
In the AHL, Finley began to show flashes of what he could become. Across his first three full seasons with the Syracuse Crunch, he hit double digits in goals each year, including a career-high 14 tallies last season. He posted 28 points in 40 games in 2022-23, suggesting that while he might not be a top-six scorer at the NHL level, he could carve out a role as a reliable bottom-six contributor.
Tampa Bay clearly saw enough potential to keep him around through training camp this season, but opportunity was hard to come by. Finley appeared in just 11 games over the first two months and spent a brief conditioning stint back in the AHL, where he notched three points in three games. After being recalled, he saw a bit more action-12 games over the next seven-plus weeks-but overall, his NHL ice time remained limited.
Through 23 games this season, Finley has logged two goals and one assist while averaging just 8:25 per night. Still, he’s made his presence felt physically, registering 37 hits and winning 48.5% of his faceoffs-solid numbers for a young center still adjusting to the pace of the NHL.
Now, he heads to a Blues team that’s clearly shifting gears. With St.
Louis well outside the playoff picture and already beginning to move veteran pieces-most notably shipping out Nick Bjugstad earlier this week-Finley could be stepping into a situation ripe with opportunity. He essentially slides into the roster spot vacated by Bjugstad, and with the Blues likely to continue reshaping the lineup, there’s a real chance for him to earn consistent minutes down the stretch.
This isn’t a short-term rental, either. Finley is in the first year of a three-year contract that carries a $775,000 cap hit.
As the league minimum salary increases next season, his cap number will rise accordingly. The final two years of the deal are one-way, meaning St.
Louis is committing close to $2 million in real dollars over the life of the contract.
But for a team looking to build out its depth with cost-effective, NHL-ready players, this is the kind of move that makes sense. Finley doesn’t need to be a game-changer-he just needs to be a steady, physical presence who can win draws, play responsibly in his own zone, and chip in offensively when the opportunity presents itself.
If he can do that, the Blues may have found themselves a valuable piece for the next phase of their roster evolution.