Balcers: 'Going to Florida, it just gives you an extra spark'

Rudolfs Balcers is just getting started.
Coming off a breakout 2021-22 campaign in which he posted career-highs in goals (11), assists (12), points (23) and games played (61), the 25-year-old forward is confident he can continue that upward trajectory and take another big step forward during the upcoming season after signing a one-year deal with the Panthers as a free agent on July 14.

"I feel like with every year I play more games and put up more points," said Balcers, who had the final year of his two-year contract with the Sharks bought out prior to free agency despite his uptick in production. "Being in San Jose, the coaching staff gave me a good opportunity and trusted in me.
"I got the ice time I kind of wanted. Getting in those games and getting more comfortable, playing at such a level as the National Hockey League, I say I'm still a young guy. I don't have the big amount of experience yet, just a little over 150 games, so I think last season was a good kind of starting point."
Since Bill Zito took over the reins as general manager of the Panthers back in 2020, signing players like Balcers has been sort of his bread and butter. Just as it was for current Cats mainstays like Carter Verhaeghe, Sam Bennett and Anthony Duclair, he's a promising young player about to enter into his prime years that's looking for an opportunity to show what he can really do.
"Rudolfs is a hard-working playmaker who competes with pace and skill," Zito said in the team's official release after the signing. "His energy and competitiveness will complement our lineup well."
Balcers also sees a fit.
"I'm excited," he said. "With this change, going to Florida, it just gives you an extra spark. It's something new. You're looking forward and you're excited. I'm just working hard. It's been a good summer so far workout-wise. I've been skating a lot. I'm looking forward to the season getting started.
"It's a great team. I'm really excited to see everyone and see the level of skill of all those players and just be on the ice with them and get that feel of skating with them. It's such a great, great team. I'm just looking forward to meeting everyone."
During his initial talks with Zito, Balcers said one of the key selling points was not only the talent the Panthers possess on the ice, but also the camaraderie in the team's dressing room. Set up for success both in the present and future, the roster is overflowing with hungry players in their mid-20s just like himself, such as Aleksander Barkov (26), Matthew Tkachuk (24) and Aaron Ekblad (26).
"It's amazing," Balcers said of his new teammates. "The generations change. The older players are leaving the league and the younger guys are coming up. I talked to Bill and had a good conversation about the group. He said it's amazing. Everyone hangs out with each other. Chemistry is the big thing on the ice, but also off the ice. I'm really excited to meet everyone and see what the season brings."
Helping him fast forward through the "new guy" phase, he'll also have a few familiar faces in the locker room to make his transition to South Florida an easy one.
Playing two seasons in Ottawa after breaking into the NHL in 2018-19, Balcers previously shared the ice with a pair of current Panthers in Anthony Duclair and Colin White. Also joining the Cats on a one-year deal during free agency, White was one of the first players to reach out to Balcers after he signed.
"Once he saw the news, he reached out," Balcers said. "He was excited. I haven't seen him for a while, so it'll be fun to see him. Knowing Duke, I heard he's a good source to show me around and help me if I need anything. It's exciting to come to a place where you know some faces, for sure."
In Ottawa, he also played with Tkachuk's brother, Brady.
"It'll be nice to play with Matt as well," Balcers said of Tkachuk, who signed an eight-year deal after being traded to Florida last month. "He's a great player and had a great season last year. Crazy, crazy a lot of points. He'll be a good fit in Florida with the playstyle. I'm excited to meet him and everyone else."
With his own skillset also fitting into what the team likes to do on the ice, Balcers believes by joining the Panthers he'll finally get to achieve one of his lifelong dreams. Although the Latvia native has competed in several major international tournaments - including leading Latvia in scoring with nine points (one goal, eight assists) in seven games at the 2019 IIHF World Championship - throughout his career, he's still waiting to play in his first NHL playoff game.
"That was the first thing I thought about," he said.
But after watching the Panthers claim the Presidents' Trophy with a franchise-record 122 points and advance beyond the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 1996 this past season, Balcers is confident that he'll be playing well beyond Game 82 for the first time this campaign.
"I'm really looking forward to having a great season, making the playoffs and then who knows what can happen at that time of year," he said. "I really believe and hope that this is the year."