Dominic James assigned to Syracuse Crunch

The Tampa Bay Lightning reassigned center Dominic James to the Syracuse Crunch on Wednesday. Head coach Jon Cooper explained that the move was made primarily to allow James to get regular playing time and reps rather than rotating in and out of Tampa Bay's lineup. James was eligible to be assigned without waivers alongside forward Conor Geekie, whose recent offensive form secured his spot on the NHL roster.

The 24-year-old forward has faced a challenging start to the season following a broken wrist before training camp. In six games with the Lightning, James recorded two assists while seeing his ice time drop. Raw Charge notes that the assignment provides James an opportunity to play top minutes in the AHL before an expected recall later in the season.