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Tampa places 23-year-old skilled centerman on waivers who lines up with Pittsburgh’s needs
Photo credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Jack Finley just landed on NHL waivers, and the Pittsburgh Penguins have a rare cheap swing at size down the middle.
Friday’s waiver note also came with a clean slate from Thursday, Joshua Davies and Juho Lammikko cleared without a claim.
That “no-claim” vibe matters, because it tells you teams are picky right now.
Finley is a 23-year-old center, 6-foot-6, right shot, with legit reach and heavy-net potential.
He was drafted in 2020, second round, 57th overall, by the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Here’s the original post for context.
On the stat line, Finley has 2-1-3 in 22 NHL games this season, plus 1-2-3 in 3 AHL games with Syracuse.
That’s not top-six production, but it’s enough to show he can keep his head above water in sheltered minutes.
Jack Finley gives the Pittsburgh Penguins a real option
Penguins fans are tired of “small skill” experiments that get pushed off pucks when games tighten up.
Finley would not fix everything, but he changes the look of a fourth line fast.
Think faceoff reps, net-front screens on the man advantage, and a bigger defensive posture low in the zone.
The contract is the real hook, a $775,000 cap hit, and he’s signed through 2027-28 before hitting RFA status.
For Pittsburgh, that’s low-risk depth you can actually afford, especially if you want internal competition without paying for it.
If he clears, fine, Tampa keeps him. If he doesn’t, the Penguins might have found a different kind of bottom-six answer.
Also read on HockeyUnplugged :
Pittsburgh Penguins re-assign two forwards to the AHL
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| POLL | ||
FEVRIER 6|122 ANSWERS Tampa places 23-year-old skilled centerman on waivers who lines up with Pittsburgh’s needs Should the Pittsburgh Penguins claim Jack Finley on waivers? | ||
| Yes | 77 | 63.1 % |
| No | 45 | 36.9 % |
| List of polls | ||