The Panthers made a minor signing on Monday, bringing forward Chase Balisy into the fold on a 2 year, entry-level contract.
The California native spent 2014-15, his first professional season, with the St. John’s Ice Caps of the AHL, where he was the second leading scorer with 44 points (21 goals, 23 assists). Prior to last season, Balisy played a full college career at Western Michigan University from 2010-2014, notching 129 points in 161 games, including a pair of 37 point seasons. He never failed to finish worse than 2nd in team scoring in all four seasons. He was also drafted during his college career by the Nashville Predators in the 6th round of the 2011 NHL Draft, #170 overall. Prior to college, he was part of the US National Team Development Program from 2008-2010, spending parts of the 2009-10 season alongside now-fellow Panther prospects Rocco Grimaldi and Colin Stevens.
Given this is just his second professional season, one could reasonably expect Balisy to be heading for the farm. If he does well, there will be opportunities to crack the lineup down the line. The Panthers are, after all, fully shifting from rebuilding to competing for the playoffs. Young players, if they prove their worth, will be given a chance to graduate and vie for permanent spots on the roster. The history of players scoring around 44 points at 22 years old at the AHL level is, understandably, all over the place. There are plenty of players who have gone on to bigger and better things such as Nick Bonino (45), Cam Atkinson (44), Frans Nielsen (44), and Clarke MacArthur (42). There are also plenty of players who failed to make it happen, such as Bill Sweatt (46), Marek Svatos (46), and Zach Hamill (43).
Where will Balisy fall on this spectrum? Only time will tell.
AJ can be reached for contact on Twitter.
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