Rudolfs Balcers has signed a two-year contract with the San Jose Sharks. The forward’s contract has an average annual value of $1.55 million.
Sharks announce a two-year contract extension for Rudolfs Balcers.
Wilson: “He showed that he is a versatile forward who can provide offense for our club as a Top-9 forward. We are happy to have him.”
— Kevin Kurz (@KKurzNHL) July 22, 2021
Rudolfs Balcers Signs with San Jose Sharks
Rudolfs Balcers is a 24-year-old left-winger from Liepaja, Latvia. He scored 17 points in 41 games for the Sharks this season and played 14:43 on average. The Sharks originally drafted Balcers, picking him 142nd overall in the 2015 draft from the Stavanger Oilers in Norway. Balcers scored 77 points for the Kamloops Blazers in the WHL and 48 points for the San Jose Barracuda in the AHL in consecutive seasons.
On September 13, 2018, he was traded to the Ottawa Senators in a package for Erik Karlsson. Balcers was in the Senators organization for two seasons and he split his time between the Ottawa Senators and their AHL team, the Belleville Senators. In Ottawa, Balcers scored 17 points in 51 games and in Belleville, he scored 67 points in 76 games over two seasons. At the start of the 2020-21 season, the Senators put Balcers on waivers and the Sharks claimed him. Balcers played in the NHL for the entire season.
What this Means for the Sharks
The Sharks lock up a young top-nine winger for two years who can provide solid depth scoring. Balcers has a good amount of speed and skill, allowing him to grow his point totals as he gains more experience in the NHL. He is suited for the third-line scoring role but can fit in a top-six role. At $1.5 million, the Sharks have a cheap scoring forward. With only one full NHL season completed, the Sharks and Balcers don’t know what level he could be at in a few years. Therefore, it makes sense to sign him to a short-term deal.
Main Photo: Embed from Getty Images
