While the Florida Panthers' defensive unit has been hampered with injuries as of recent, there has been some positive news on that front.
It's not a player returning from injury, but rather a signing. Specifically, the Florida Panthers announced on Friday that they had signed defenceman Uvis Balinskis to a two-year contract extension. The original release did not disclose the exact salary terms; however, PuckEmpire notes that the rumoured annual salary sits at around $875,000.
Through thirty-six games played this season, Balinskis has scored one goal while tallying seven assists. Over the course of the nearly 140 career games played with the Panthers, Balinskis has scored six goals and contributed twenty-three assists.
On special teams, Balinskis has been capable of playing a support role; he's recently been filling in for Seth Jones in the top-four of Florida's defensive lineup. He's found himself playing consistently on the second line with Niko Mikkola while also registering higher ice time averages as a result.
For the Panthers' organization, signing Balinskis helps to provide a little more continuity over the next decade. This is especially true when considering that defencemen Jeff Petry, Dominic Sebrango, and Tobias Bjornfot are all set to enter free agency in some form this offseason. The Balinskis extension doesn't exactly eliminate the need for defensive commitments, but it does help Florida to address that situation.
The Panthers entered play on Friday with a record of 24-18-3, good enough for 51 points in the standings. They do sit in seventh in the Atlantic Division and just two points ahead of the Ottawa Senators; however they are just five points back of the Boston Bruins for an Eastern Conference playoff spot.