A team source has confirmed that defenseman Janne Niskala has cleared waivers and will be assigned to the Finnish National Team for now. Niskala, Nashville's 5th round pick in 2004, played parts of five seasons with Lukko Rauma in Finland from 2000-2005 and will join a team in SM-Liiga, the Finnish Elite League, after those teams return from a break.

After stops in Switzerland and Sweden, Niskala joined Nashville's AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals. He was dealt to the Philadelphia Flyers in late June of this year and then to the Lightning just six days later.

The early season additions of Lukas Krajicek and Marek Malik along with the steady play of Mike Lundin forced Niskala out of the Tampa Bay lineup and a clause in his contract prohibits him from being sent to the minor leagues.

Niskala is listed as an unrestricted free agent at season's end but that only applied to finishing the season with the NHL club. If he plays the rest of the season in Europe, the Lightning would retain his rights as a restricted free agent. Additionally, the Bolts could conceivably recall him at any time this season, provided he cleared re-entry waivers, though I'm told that this is an unlikely scenario.

Fare thee well, Janne ...

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More to come very shortly, including a rant on the bogus All-Star ballot released yesterday ...

JJ

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