Once a piece of the blockbuster Erik Karlsson trade, former Senator Rudolfs Balcers now leads the 2026 World Hockey Championships in goal scoring.
In the Ottawa Senators' lucrative Erik Karlsson trade from 2018, Rudolfs Balcers is one of the names from that deal that's often overlooked. Balcers played parts of two seasons in Ottawa, playing in a total of 51 games, and putting up 17 points (six goals, 11 assists).
But in January of 2021, when the Sens tried to send him to Belleville, he was claimed off waivers by the Sharks. He knew the way to San Jose, the team that drafted him, but by that point, with Tim Stutzle and Josh Norris playing so well in Ottawa, it was already clear the Sharks had lost the Karlsson trade quite badly.
It was almost as if Sharks GM Doug Wilson was vainly trying to mitigate the damage.
Balcers' NHL days are now behind him. For the past three years, he's played for Zurich SC in Switzerland, but at the well-scouted 2026 World Hockey Championships, which wrap up on Sunday, it's possible the 29-year-old may find himself back on NHL radars.
Balcers finished the tournament with a Latvian record 7 goals in the tournament, and heading into the gold medal game, no one in the tournament had more. He's tied with Noah Steen, who was Norway's overtime hero in the bronze medal game against Canada.
Balcers was named captain of Latvia for the first time, replacing Kaspars Daugavins, another former Senator who held that role for a long time, including the 2026 Olympics in Milan.
By Steve Warne
The Hockey News
This article was first published at The Hockey News Ottawa Senators site. For more THN Ottawa articles, click one of the latest stories below:
Senators Officially Hire Linus Ullmark's Friend And Former Goalie Coach
Senators AHL Coaching Candidate Signs On As Islanders AHL Head Coach
D.J. Smith Has Opportunity To End Ex-Senators' Coach NHL Drought
The Hockey News' Ottawa Senators Podcast
Report: Red Wings Expected To Move On From Three Former Senators