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The Florida Panthers have won two consecutive Stanley Cup titles. In recent years, they have mortgaged their future to make title runs. That included trading for Seth Jones and Brad Marchand this year and picking up Matthew Tkachuk three years ago. With Marchand, Sam Bennett, and Aaron Ekblad coming back, they are over the salary cap. That means that the Panthers' most likely trade acquisition is future assets for Evan Rodrigues to get under the cap.
According to PuckPedia, the Panthers are $2.95 million over the cap, and Rodrigues makes $3 million for two years. They also have five total draft picks in the 2026 draft already, long before the trade deadline depletes that stockpile. So, adding another pick, even a mid-round one, for Rodrigues would be the smart move this offseason.
That is not to say that Rodrigues was not a key part of both Stanley Cup runs. He put up 71 points in 162 games over two regular seasons in Florida. In the postseason, he had 15 points each year, which includes seven goals in the 2024 playoffs. Any team looking to take a step forward should look to add Rodrigues to their bottom six.
The other player the Panthers could trade to fix their salary cap problem is Eetu Luostarinen. Rodrigues is more likely to be traded, however, because he is five years older than Luostarinen and is not a center. They likely want to keep Luostarainen, hoping he is hitting his prime and can blossom into a 15-goal scorer.
The Panthers cannot take back a roster player in a Rodrigues trade, because they would be left with only $50,000 in cap space. And, they have restricted free agents to sign, like Mackie Samoskevich and Tobias Bjornfort. A draft pick is the only thing they should be looking for in this trade, which opens up the potential landing spots.
Who should call the Panthers about Evan Rodrigues?
Despite NHL free agency being essentially over, there are 21 teams with over $3 million in cap space. Plus, the Panthers are known for loading their contracts with signing bonuses. So, Rodrigues is only due $775,000 for the remainder of the season despite taking up $3 million in space. That would be huge for a team looking to improve without spending a ton of money.
The Buffalo Sabres fit that definition perfectly, despite their 14-year playoff drought. With a lackluster bottom six, plenty of picks, and plenty of cap space, Rodrigues would be a solid fit. He spent the first four years of his career with the Sabres, scoring 71 points in 192 games. But with Stanley Cup experience and under a decent contract for two years, he can help them take a step forward. Buffalo has an extra fourth and sixth-round pick, which could help facilitate the deal.
The Anaheim Ducks have come out and said they want to make the playoffs this year. Their young core is strong, even with Trevor Zegras out of town, but they could use more scoring. They picked up fourth-round picks from the Zegras trade and the John Gibson trade, so the Panthers can snag some decent capital for Rodrigues.
The Columbus Blue Jackets also have a lot of cap space and nine draft picks in the 2026 draft. They should want to take a step forward after their near-miss in the Eastern Conference last year. Rodrigues would help stabilize their bottom six without mortgaging the future or preventing a Kirill Marchenko extension.
Trading a mid-round pick or two for a two-time Stanley Cup Champion is not an opportunity mid-level teams have very often. Even though Rodrigues is not going to change the league at his new spot, he could help a team get to the playoffs.
