PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Pens acquired Evan Rodrigues from Buffalo in 2019, traded him to Toronto in 2020, traded back for him in the same year and now will keep him for another season.
Rodrigues signed a one-year deal worth $1 million as a restricted free agent as the free agency period began at noon on Wednesday.
A versatile winger who started the year on the Pens top line, Rodrigues had seven goals and seven assists and was a minus 3 in 35 games in 2021. He played both power play and penalty kill. The 28-year-old plays with good energy and usually slated as part of the bottom six.
The 5’11”, 184-pound Rodrigues had career-highs in goals, 9, and assists, 20, in the 2018-19 season with the Sabres. The loss of Brandon Tanev, expansion draft, and Jared McCann, trade, likely increases the opportunity for Rodrigues.