Minor league forward Henry Bowlby has landed another NHL contract, agreeing to terms with the Florida Panthers on a one-year, two-way deal. Bowlby was a restricted free agent and did not file for salary arbitration. PuckPedia reports that the deal will carry an NHL salary of $750K and an AHL salary of $90K.
Bowlby, 25, was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Harvard in 2020, and quickly showed that there may have been some underutilized offensive talent in the winger. In his short run with the Syracuse Crunch in 2020-21 (when the Florida teams shared an AHL affiliate), he scored eight goals and 14 points in 23 games. This year, those numbers dipped a bit but he still managed to put up 12 goals and 28 points in 64 games for the Charlotte Checkers.
For a player who never scored more than eight goals or 16 points in any of his three college seasons, but still managed to land an entry-level contract, it’s been a strong first impression at the professional level. Now, if he’s to ever push for an NHL job, he’ll have to take another step forward and prove he can be a reliable, two-way force for the Checkers this season. Still waiver-exempt, he’ll be headed for the AHL to start the year.