Florida Panthers Prospect Profile: Patrick Shea

The Florida Panthers selected forward Patrick Shea in the seventh round (192nd overall) of the 2015 Entry Draft held here on home ice in Sunrise, FL, after he after amassed 19 goals and 20 assists in 33 games for prep school Kimball Union Academy.

Shea was a University of Maine commit, but after contemplating playing for the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms, he decided to return to New Hampshire and play one more season at Kimball Union, where he dominated with 26 goals and 71 points in 35 games.  He also made 18 appearances for the Boston Bruins Jr. Selects U18 team and produced six goals and 15 points,

He finally joined the Black Bears for the 2016-17 season and put up five goals and 16 points in 33 games, leading all freshman in helpers (11) and assisted on three game-winning goals. He scored his first career NCAA goal in the season-opener against RPI and had two, three-game point-streaks during the year.

As a sophomore, his offensive numbers dipped to 14 points, but he flipped his plus/minus rating from -6 to +6. He netted a total of three game-winning goals, with those decisive markers coming against Miami, Quinnipiac, and Merrimack.

Shea’s junior season brought more of the same as he finished with five goals and 15 points, while appearing in 35 out of 36 games. His PIM total jumped from 29 to 42 and he registered a season-high three-point performance against the Boston College Eagles on January 16.

As a senior, Shea played in 28 games and scored a career-best six goals and finished the year tied for sixth in team-scoring with ten points. Three of his six tallies were game-winners, with two of those coming in overtime, so while he doesn’t score often, he does have a bit of a knack for coming up with important goals.

Like draft class-mate Karch Bachman, the last player I profiled, Shea is not likely to be offered an entry-level deal by the Panthers and will need to work his way up from the ECHL or AHL.

What does the future hold for Shea?