After trading forward Anthony Duclair to the San Jose Sharks, the Florida Panthers needed a bit of forward depth. They looked to NHL Free Agency for said depth, and they found it in the form of Evan Rodrigues.

The Panthers experienced great heartbreak in the Stanley Cup Final, losing to the Vegas Golden Knights. Aspirations of a return to hockey's biggest stage have led the team to balance making some tough decisions.

Trading Duclair certainly qualifies as a tough decision. The veteran forward played just 20 regular season games this past campaign. However, he put up 11 points in 20 playoff games. He even scored a clutch goal in Game 1 against Vegas.

Whether trading Duclair, a free agent next summer, was the right move is a discussion for another day. Right now, let's take a look at Evan Rodrigues. How does he fit the Florida Panthers? Let's hand out grades for Rodrigues and the Panthers regarding this four-year contract signed in NHL Free Agency.

Evan Rodrigues history

Let's take a look at Rodrigues and how he got to this point. He entered the NHL as an undrafted college free agent. He played at Boston University on a line with current Golden Knights star Jack Eichel. Rodrigues signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Buffalo Sabres in 2015.

Rodrigues came into his own in 2017-18, scoring seven goals and 25 points in 48 games. He followed that up with a 29-point performance in 74 games the following season for the Sabres.

However, the 2019-20 season saw the Boston University product take a step back. His average ice time dropped, and the Sabres wound up trading him to the Pittsburgh Penguins that season. Overall, he scored just 10 points in 48 games.

This drop in production extended into the 2020-21 season, but then something changed. Things began to click for Rodrigues, and he broke out in 2021-22. He scored a career-high 19 goals and 43 points for the Penguins that year.

Ahead of the 2022-23 campaign, Rodrigues joined the Colorado Avalanche. He was limited to 69 games with the defending Stanley Cup champions. However, he scored 16 goals and 39 points for Colorado. He went on to add five points in seven playoff games, as well.

Evan Rodrigues signs with Panthers

For Rodrigues, this is an incredible contract. His play these last two seasons has shown he can play a role in a team's top 9. His performance this past season earned him a $1 million raise and his first multi-year contract since 2017.

Rodrigues now has a home for the next four seasons. Of course, trades are always possible. And given that the 29-year-old forward wasn't given any no-trade protection in this deal, it's a possibility here as well.

However, there likely won't be a ton of pressure on Rodrigues. Unless he completely falls off a cliff, he should enjoy a bit of stability here. And if he plays well enough, he may be able to find another decent payday when he hits the open market once again.

Panthers sign Evan Rodrigues

For the Panthers, this is an interesting decision. With all due respect to Rodrigues, he's not as good as Anthony Duclair. Trading Duclair certainly makes some sense, as he is a free agent next year. However, replacing him with Rodrigues at the same dollar amount feels a bit underwhelming.

In terms of long-term stability, this is great. They get a dependable forward who has shown the ability to chip in some points on contending teams. And they get that dependable forward for three more years than they had Duclair for.

The thing with Rodrigues, however, is that you're kind of betting on potential. Duclair has scored 20+ goals in two of the last four seasons, including 31 in 2021-22. Rodrigues has come close to 20 goals but has yet to cross that plateau.

Look, all immediate reactions to contracts can age very badly. And this one in particular needs some time to digest before we truly know how well it works for both sides. For now, however, this is a mixed bag for the Florida Panthers.

Grades and final thoughts

Evan Rodrigues earns high marks for cashing in on his recent surge in point production. He receives stability and a nice raise thanks to those recent performances. For the Panthers, however, they receive a bit of a lower grade. This contract could work out well. But they are betting on potential here with the addition of Rodrigues. And with their aspirations of making a return to the Stanley Cup Final, it may not be a bet they can afford to take at this point in time.

Evan Rodrigues grade: A+

Florida Panthers grade: B+