Even with the NHL taking a breather for the Olympic break, the Tampa Bay Lightning have managed to stay in the headlines - though not for anything happening on the ice. Friday brought a couple of notable developments for the Bolts, including a roster move involving Jack Finley and a fine handed down to Curtis Douglas following a physical altercation against the Florida Panthers.
Let’s start with Finley. The 6-foot-6 center was placed on waivers, a move that raises eyebrows not because of its timing, but because of who it involves.
Despite the Olympic break freezing most roster activity, the waiver wire keeps humming - albeit with a few tweaks. One key difference during this window: if a player is claimed, they don’t have to report to their new team until February 17th.
That gives teams a little more flexibility when making moves like this.
Finley has been on the bubble all season - in and out of the lineup, trying to find a consistent role. He’s shown flashes of potential, especially at the AHL level, where he’s put up 84 points in 164 games.
That kind of production suggests there’s more to unlock, especially for teams looking to add size and upside down the middle. But with just two goals and one assist in 22 NHL games this season, he hasn’t quite found his rhythm in Tampa Bay’s system.
Unless a team is willing to take a flyer on a big-bodied forward with developmental upside, odds are he clears waivers and heads back to the Crunch.
Speaking of the AHL, the Lightning also have a few waiver-exempt players they could consider sending down for conditioning or cap management during the break. Dominic James, Max Crozier, and Charle-Edouard D’Astous are all eligible in theory, but in practice, it’s a bit more complicated.
D’Astous is nursing an injury and has logged heavy minutes, so the team is likely to keep him off the ice for now. If he’s cleared later in the break, don’t be surprised to see him get a game or two in with Syracuse.
As for James and Crozier, they’re technically not eligible for a loan during the break. NHL rules stipulate that players who’ve appeared in 16 or more of the team’s last 20 games can’t be sent down during this window - and both players surpass that threshold. The league’s goal here is to ensure that regular contributors get a real break, rather than being shuffled around for cap gymnastics.
Then there’s the matter of Curtis Douglas, who found himself on the wrong end of a fine following the Lightning’s recent clash with the Panthers. The NHL’s Department of Player Safety hit Douglas with a $2,018.23 fine - the maximum allowable under the CBA - for being the “aggressor” in an altercation with Florida’s Niko Mikkola.
This marks Douglas’ first fine in the NHL, and while it’s not the kind of milestone any player wants, it’s also not a shocking development. If you keep throwing punches after the other guy’s clearly not engaging, you’re going to get dinged.
It’s part of the game’s code - and the league’s disciplinary structure. Anaheim’s Ross Johnston received a similar fine earlier this season for a comparable incident.
What’s more eye-opening is the broader picture: Tampa Bay has now racked up $134,259.98 in fines this season alone for incidents involving the Panthers. That doesn’t even include salary lost to suspensions like the ones J.J.
Moser and Scott Sabourin served earlier in the year. That’s a hefty tab - and a testament to just how heated this rivalry has become.
There’s no love lost between these two teams, and the penalty ledger proves it.
All in all, a quiet Friday on the ice, but not so much behind the scenes. The Lightning may be on pause, but the business of hockey - roster moves, disciplinary actions, and cap considerations - never really stops.