The Florida Panthers announced that the team has agreed to a four-year contract with forward Evan Rodrigues. In a follow-up report, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet shares that Rodrigues will earn an AAV of $3MM.
Although coming off of nearly a 20-goal campaign during the 2021-22 season, Rodrigues had to wait until September to eventually sign a one-year, $2MM contract with the defending Stanley Cup Champions, the Colorado Avalanche. Playing a high-speed game, Rodrigues’ versatility fit very well into Colorado’s lineup.
Bouncing around the top three forward lines for the Avalanche, Rodrigues nearly replicated his best season, scoring 16 goals and 23 assists, while averaging almost 18 minutes of ice time per night. With a staggering amount of injuries in Colorado, Rodrigues even found himself on their second power-play unit for much of the year.
In the move to South Florida, Rodrigues is joining another team with its sights set on the Stanley Cup. His versatility should be able to factor in very well to that lineup, as General Manager Bill Zito said, “Rodrigues brings skill and the ability to compete in three zones of the ice. A culture fit and someone who adds versatility to our lineup, we can’t wait to welcome Evan to the Panthers”.
Perfect.
Agreed! Love to see there move on defence now as Gudas leaving leaves a gap wider than the isle of wight.
Florida already addressed their D yesterday, adding Ekman-Larsson, Mikkola, Reilly and Kulikov. While Mikkola is perhaps not as good as Gudas, he does sufficiently fill the gap he left in my opinion. Once all the injuries clear up, you’re looking at a depth chart of…
Forsling – Ekblad
Ekman-Larsson – Montour
Mikkola – Kulikov
—
Reilly – Mahura
Ekblad, Montour and Ekman-Larsson are all listed as injured at present, and the former two are expected to miss the start of the season. But that D corps is INCREDIBLY deep, and while losing Gudas does stink, I think the team is absolutely improved. Not having to roll Staal and Mahura on the lineup is sign the depth has been addressed.
ERod can’t put a puck in the ocean. Four years is nuts for a guy who will get two goals in one game and then go pointless the next 15. He will drive you nuts.
He has 69 NHL goals so your first sentence makes no sense. Last season he never went more than four games without a point so your second sentence is nothing more than a babbling continuation of your first.