George Richards, FHN Publisher
There are few players the Florida Panthers relied on game in and game out than Evan Rodrigues.
On a team filled with stars, Rodrigues quietly worked his way up and down the lineup doing whatever the Panthers and coach Paul Maurice asked him to do.
Rodrigues, whom the Panthers traded to New Jersey on Tuesday as part of the Jacob Markstrom trade, was truly an unsung hero.
Yet, he was certainly appreciated by the Panthers — and new Devils GM Sunny Mehta, who helped bring Rodrigues to the Panthers in 2023, is happy to have him in New Jersey.
Rodrigues leaves the Panthers (perhaps not for good, just for now) a two-time Stanley Cup champion who played center or wing on all four lines during his time in South Florida.
He killed penalties, and played on the power play.
Rodrigues played with grit, and showed a deft offensive touch.
He did so much for the Panthers, it is hard to quantify how much he will be missed both on and off the ice.
“I’ve always prided myself on a 200-foot game,’’ he said a while back, “and I’ve always prided myself on work ethic. That’s what got me into the league: my smarts, my work ethic. And I think that’s what this team has. It’s a hard-working, smart team and we play a team game. That’s something I think fits in really well with myself.”
As is the nature of the business, Rodrigues ultimately needed to move on.
The Panthers were up against the salary cap and, with those aforementioned stars, really needed his $3 million cap hit to spend elsewhere.
With the way the Panthers are constructed right now, Rodrigues would have probably started the season somewhere on the fourth line.
Would he have stayed there?
Based on his history, probably not.
But the Panthers needed to spend his money elsewhere, so, he will pack up his family and head north.
It was a real good run.
“He can basically do it all,” captain Sasha Barkov said. “He can play defense really well, he plays offense really well, he takes face-offs, you can put him in any situation on the ice.
“Off the ice, he’s a great guy. He can hang out with anyone and be a great guy with anyone, so that’s a really good thing to have as a person.
“I’ve really been impressed by him ever since Day 1.”
ON DECK: FLORIDA PANTHERS OFFSEASON
- NHL Free Agency: Opens Wednesday, Noon
- Panthers Development Camp: Today-Thursday; IcePlex, Fort Lauderdale
- Panthers Rookie Camp/Tournament: Late August/Early Sept.; Site TBA
- Panthers Training Camp: Early/Mid September; Fort Lauderdale
- Panthers Preseason (Four Games): Starts Sept. 20 vs. Carolina Hurricanes
- 2026-27 NHL Season Opens: Late September; Site, Opponent TBA