The Ottawa Senators have dipped into the unrestricted free agent pool, signing Chase Balisy to a one-year two-way contract. The deal will pay $650K in the NHL and $135K in the AHL. Balisy became a Group VI UFA when he failed to play in 80 games with the Florida Panthers, instead given just eight contests in 2017-18 after several years in the minor leagues.
Originally selected by the Nashville Predators in 2011, Balisy never did sign with the organization after four solid years at Western Michigan University. Instead he played a year in the minor leagues before signing his entry-level deal with the Florida Panthers in 2015 and another one-year contract in 2017 after not getting a qualifying offer from the club. In four minor league seasons Balisy has proven himself to be a capable offensive player, but was held scoreless in his eight-game NHL stint with the Panthers. It’s unlikely he’ll be asked to make any impact on the NHL club in Ottawa, though he could be used as an injury replacement if necessary.
Instead, he’ll likely return to the minor leagues and try to give the Belleville Senators another experienced option up front. The AHL squad went 29-42-5 last season but have made wholesale changes to the coaching staff and much of the roster. Like any organization around the minor leagues, Belleville will try to bring about a culture of winning for their young players as they continue to develop future NHL talent. Veteran options like Balisy are a big part of that, and he should end up logging important minutes for the minor league squad.
sounds about right for an Ottawa signing.
It’s almost as if we’re trying to guarantee the Avs get that first overall pick lol.
Another useless signing by my Sens.