Rodrigues Top Florida Panthers Free Agent Signing in 2023

The biggest signing for the Florida Panthers when the 2023 free agency period opened up did not happen on July 1.

Yes, the Panthers made a number of signings on that first day — including Dmitry Kulikov, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and Niko Mikkola — but did not have the cap space available until trading Anthony Duclair to San Jose in the afternoon.

The following day, Florida signed Evan Rodrigues to a four-year deal at the same $3 million cap hit Duclair had.

Rodrigues may have been the most impactful signing of them all.

Although arguments could be made Ekman-Larsson, Mikkola, and Kulikov impacted the Florida defense in ways that were most beneficial to the Florida Panthers throughout the season, Rodrigues had himself a postseason to remember.

Especially when it counted most.

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Rodrigues assisted on Carter Verhaeghe’s goal which gave the Panthers a 1-0 lead in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final — his seventh point of the Final.

He ended the playoffs with seven goals and 15 points in 24 games.

In the Stanley Cup Final, Rodrigues scored four goals including three in the first two games.

From his start with the Florida Panthers, coach Paul Maurice used Rodrigues throughout the lineup.

The Panthers are Rodrigues’ fourth team, so, moving around is nothing new to him.

Like a kid bouncing from school to school, sometimes you have to become adapt at making friends.

Rodrigues certainly did that with the Panthers.

“I try to adjust my game a little bit, try to give my linemates the freedom to play their game,’’ Rodrigues said during the Final.

“I adjust my game a little bit and try to bring a little bit of energy. Sometimes it might not be me. It might just be, when you switch lines up it gives everybody a little spark. Just seems to be clicking right now.”

It certainly was.

One of the moves Maurice made in the Final was putting Rodrigues up on the second line with Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk.

That allowed Sasha Barkov to play with Sam Reinhart and Verhaeghe — with Vladimir Tarasenko moving down to Rodrigues’ spot on the third line.

The whole thing worked itself out.

With Tarasenko off to Detroit after signing a two-year contract with the Red Wings, Florida may just keep that top-six together and slide rookie Mackie Samoskevich onto the third line with Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen.

Right now, that is obviously too early to tell.

Regardless, Rodrigues will find a spot somewhere.

“You go back six, seven weeks into the regular season where he — maybe even longer than that, but then the last month and a half for sure — his game he just became more and more impactful in everything that he did,’’ Maurice said.

“And he’s continued. We have moved him around and now, wherever he goes, he seems to get the people going that he’s playing with.

“He’s become that kind of player for us. It’s just a little switch based on a whole bunch of things, but some of them were just potential matchup changes that I was going to do during the game and then Matthew lights up and off they went.’’

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UP NEXT FOR THE FLORIDA PANTHERS

• NHL Free Agency: Opened July 1
• Nashville Predators Rookie Showcase: Sept. 13-16
• Florida Panthers Training Camp, Fort Lauderdale: Possible start Sept. 17-19
• Florida Panthers Preseason: Sept. 22-Oct. 5
• Florida Panthers Opening Night/Banner Unveiling: Oct. 8 vs. Bruins