Sportsnet NHL insider Elliotte Friedman is reportedly hearing noise involving Florida Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues’ name as they attempt to free up cap space.
For the second consecutive off-season, Evan Rodrigues is hearing his name in NHL trade rumors.
The Florida Panthers made a pair of moves yesterday, including offloading Mackie Samoskevich to the Seattle Kraken and then acquiring Brady Tkachuk from the Ottawa Senators.
While the move has upgraded their top six, the Panthers still have holes in their roster that need to be addressed. The Panthers have no goaltenders signed to their NHL roster, and there is some uncertainty about what their fourth line will look like.
Following the trades, the Panthers are left with about $7 million in salary cap space, leaving little room to add either two strong goaltenders or a high-end No. 1 netminder.
The Panthers have been linked to goalies like Connor Hellebuyck, Jordan Binnington, and Jacob Markstrom, but with few trade assets and minimal cap space, the likelihood of acquiring Hellebuyck is almost zero.
To open up some cap space, the Panthers will have to be creative, and one way to do so is by moving Rodrigues, a player who earns $3 million and is entering the last season of his contract.
With the roster makeup, Rodrigues will be pushed to the fourth line, and $3 million is a premium to pay for a fourth liner.
Last off-season, GM Bill Zito did everything in his power to ensure the Panthers kept Rodrigues. Matthew Tkachuk’s injury allowed Rodrigues to stay put, and, following the slew of injuries they faced, they were never in a rush to move him to become cap-compliant.
But with additional moves needed to be made, Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman reports that he’s heard some noise involving Rodrigues.
It’s no secret that coach Paul Maurice and the Panthers staff keep Rodrigues in high regard. His versatility to play up and down the lineup, as well as his ability to play as a center or winger, is very valuable.
But with the lineup the Panthers project to ice to begin the 2026-27 season, there just isn’t space for the 32-year-old, and the money he makes could be better spent elsewhere in the lineup.
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