News

Since the Toronto Maple Leafs lured Jeff Finger with a lucrative four-year, $14-million (U.S.) free-agent contract last July, fans have been anxious to see if this guy is worth the money and the defenceman has been eager to prove his value.

Finger's time to shine might finally arrive tonight, when the Leafs play host to the rival Ottawa Senators at the Air Canada Centre. If the Leafs' medical team clears Finger, who has been out of action for more than a month with a broken foot, he will make his debut.

"Of course, I want to get out there and prove myself," the 28-year-old said. "But there is nothing I can really do about that. It's a matter of staying mentally tough and being prepared for when I do get in there. Controlling what I can control is the only thing I have to worry about.

"I would have played the first day I started to skate [with the team nine days ago], but it's not up to me."

Finger, who will add some needed toughness to the Leafs, suffered his right foot injury when he was hit by a shot from teammate Nikolai Kulemin. He hasn't played in a game since the Leafs opened the preseason against the Buffalo Sabres on Sept. 22.

If Finger is cleared today, general manager Cliff Fletcher will have to make room on the 23-player roster. Second-year forward Jiri Tlusty is the most likely candidate for demotion to the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League.

While Tlusty, 20, was the Leafs' first-round (13th overall) selection in 2006 and has already played in 65 NHL games, Finger was a long shot to reach the NHL. He grew up in Houghton, Mich. on the shores of Lake Superior.

He was drafted in the 11th round (240th overall) in 1999 by the Colorado Avalanche, spent three years at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota, and began his pro career on one of the bottom rungs of pro hockey, the ECHL.

Finger spent 3 1/2 seasons in the minors before the Avalanche made him a full-time NHLer at 27.

But even though the defenceman has just 94 games of NHL experience and was a healthy scratch by the Avalanche in five of 10 playoff games last year, the Leafs signed Finger to the rich deal. This prompted criticism from hockey analysts and other NHL executives.

The Leafs, however, like Finger's physical play and feel he will be a player who can grow with their young lineup.

"[Finger is] a defensive defenceman who plays the point on the power play," said Leafs coach Ron Wilson, noting that Finger scored eight goals in 72 games last season. "If he can play the way he did last year, we'll be even better on the back end."

The back end with the Leafs is a crowded place these days. Veteran Ian White has yet to play this season and Carlo Colaiacovo has sat out three of the past four games and likely won't suit up tonight.

With Mike Van Ryn solidifying his spot in the lineup and the 6-foot-1, 205-pound Finger a possibility for tonight, the odd man out might be 22-year-old Anton Stralman, who scored his first goal of the season in Toronto's 4-2 victory in Boston against the Bruins on Thursday, or Finger's roommate on the road, rookie Luke Schenn.

Does the overcrowded blueline create healthy competition or become a problem area for Wilson?

"It's both," Wilson said. "It's good competition. But a lot of guys come to me and ask, 'What do I have to do to get back.' We're going to have injuries. A player like Carlo just has to be ready."

NOTES: After a one-game benching, Jason Blake will return to the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup when they play the Ottawa Senators tonight. This means right winger Jiri Tlusty (zero points) will sit out. "He's a young guy whose confidence may be down," Toronto head coach Ron Wilson said of Tlusty. "He's 20 years old and will be a big part of the organization for a long time." ... With nine new faces in the Leafs lineup, the first of six meetings against the Senators likely won't have the same intensity as a typical Battle of Ontario game, but "these things tend to get passed on," Moore said. "The rivalry will heat up through the season." ... It took Leafs winger Nik Antropov until his fifth game to score this season and now he has goals in three consecutive games. He's the last Toronto player to score in four games in a row, a run that began in the fifth game of last season. ... All 30 NHL clubs will be in action today for the first time since opening night of the 2005-06 season.

UP NEXT: Saturday 7 p.m. (EDT), v. Ottawa Senators.

TV: CBC