Panthers sign forward Evan Rodrigues to long-term deal after trading away Anthony Duclair
The Florida Panthers spent the first day of free agency Saturday building up their defensive depth and finished off Day 1 by trading away Anthony Duclair to create cap space for one more big move.
On Sunday, the Panthers made it. Evan Rodrigues is coming to Florida on a four-year, $12 million deal.
“Rodrigues brings skill and the ability to compete in three zones of the ice,” general manager Bill Zito said in a statement. “A culture fit and someone who adds versatility to our lineup, we can’t wait to welcome Evan to the Panthers.”
Panthers load up on defensive depth (and stay away from long-term deals) in free agency
Rodrigues, 29, fits into the cap space created following Florida’s trade of Duclair on Saturday, and is coming off a season with 16 goals and 23 assists in 69 games for the Avalanche, plus five points in seven games in the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs. He played last year on a one-year deal in Colorado and parlayed his successful campaign into a multiyear deal with the Panthers as one of the best role players available on the market.
Rodrigues is one of only three free agents to earn a multiyear deal from Florida this offseason and one of only three players to get a contract worth more than $1.1 million annually. His signing leaves the Panthers right up against the cap this summer and still gives Florida bout $29.9 million in cap space to use next offseason, when about half a dozen key players are set to become free agents.
As for the immediate fit, Rodrigues has played just about every forward role and should be able to fit somewhere in the Panthers’ top nine, which remains virtually unchanged save for the departure of Duclair.
The only other everyday forwards Florida did not bring back from last season are centers Colin White and Eric Staal, who remain unsigned.
In all, Florida has made 11 moves since free agency opened this weekend: signing goaltender Anthony Stolarz to a one-year deal; signing Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Mike Reilly and Dmitry Kulikov to one-year deals, and fellow defenseman Niko Mikkola to a three-year deal; signing center Kevin Stenlund to a one-year deal; re-signing left wing Grigori Denisenko on a two-year deal and defenseman Lucas Carlsson to a two-way contract; signing forward Alex True to a two-way deal; trading Duclair for center Steven Lorentz and a future fifth-round pick; and now bringing in Rodrigues for four years.
