Where could former Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evan Rodrigues play next season?
Three weeks after the opening of NHL free agency, plenty of players remain unsigned into the first week of August. One of the players still searching for a deal is Evan Rodrigues, a breakout player for last season's Pittsburgh Penguins.
To say that the free agent market has behaved differently this summer would be an understatement. For example, the Penguins recently brought back Danton Heinen, an 18-goal scoring depth winger, at a slight pay cut from what he was making last season.
Other high profile players remain on the market into the slow season of the summer, such as Nazem Kadri and Phil Kessel. With roughly six weeks until the opening of training camps, what are the most likely spots for Evan Rodrigues?
Detroit Red Wings
After taking a step forward last season, the Detroit Red Wings spent the early portion of this summer bolstering the top end of their lineup. General manager Steve Yzerman brought in Andrew Copp and David Perron to give the Red Wings added scoring punch on their second line.
However, they still need help in their bottom six and could use a replacement top six option in case of injury. Rodrigues fills that role to a tee, spending last season in that same position for the Penguins. Rodrigues would slot into the Red Wing's third line with Pius Suter and Dominik Kubalik while giving head coach Derek Lalonde another option at the center ice position.
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars addressed their bottom six woes this summer with the signing of Mason Marchment on the opening day of free agency, but they could use an upgrade to center their third line. According to CapFriendly, the Stars have plenty of salary cap space ($10.3 million) to sign Rodrigues, who could be looking for a pay increase after having a career season in 2021-22.
Not only would Rodrigues add to the Star's scoring depth, but he showed an ability to be a two-way forward last season, finishing with 57.66 percent of the expected goals share when on the ice at 5v5. If something happens to either Tyler Seguin or Roope Hintz, Rodrigues would be an improved fill-in option over their current third-line center Radek Faksa.
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Boston Bruins
Signing with Boston would be a homecoming moment for Rodrigues, who played college hockey at Boston University from 2011 to 2015. The Bruins roster as it stands right now is in desperate need of scoring capable centers. However, reports indicate they are talking with franchise legends Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci to have them both return for next season.
Those signings would rule out the possibility of Rodrigues signing. However, with Bergeron and Krejci still undecided on their desire to play, Rodrigues could become a fail-safe option for the Bruins. Rodrigues would be a step down from Bergeron as a top-line center, but so are the current center options, Pavel Zacha and Charlie Coyle.
Pittsburgh Penguins
So you're saying there's a chance? Yes, but a very small one. The Penguins recently re-signed Danton Heinen to a one-year contract for $1 million, and a potential Rodrigues reunion would have to follow those same lines. According to Danny Shirey of DK Pittsburgh Sports, Heinen took money out of the equation as part of his return to Pittsburgh, and Rodrigues would have to follow suit to remain a Penguin.
While both players significantly outplayed that price point last season, the state of the market could force more players to take cheaper short term deals. The Penguins, specifically head coach Mike Sullivan, would jump at the opportunity to bring back Rodrigues on a team friendly deal, as he was a highly valued member of the Penguins.
The current status of the Penguin's salary cap situation makes this a long shot, but the longer this summer drags on, the more likely it is that Evan Rodrigues' next contract could fit into the Penguin's budget for next season.
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