It looks like Jack Eichel will have a familiar face when he arrives at Buffalo Sabres training camp. The team announced today that they have signed Eichel’s college linemate, Evan Rodrigues, to a two-year entry level deal.
LWOS’ Ben Kerr had this to say about Rodrigues in his college free agent scouting report.
After his impressive sophomore season, Rodrigues got some NHL interest but decided to return to school. He followed that up by struggling through his junior season. As a senior, he has been put on a line with Jack Eichel and one of Ahti Oskanen or Danny O’Regan. He has exploded offensively putting up 21 goals and 61 points in 41 games. Rodrigues has good speed as well as an excellent shot and release. However, the best part of his game is his playmaking ability. He protects the puck well and extends plays, waiting for teammates to get open. When they do, Rodrigues can feather a pass through tight openings. Some may question if his offensive explosion is due to playing with Eichel, and while its true that he has benefited from being on the line, we should remember he had 34 points in 38 games as a sophomore before Eichel was around.
The following is the Sabres Press Release.
SABRES SIGN FORWARD EVAN RODRIGUES
The Buffalo Sabres today announced the team has signed free agent forward Evan Rodrigues to a two-year, entry-level contract.
Rodrigues (5’11”, 176 lbs., 7/28/93) recently finished his senior season at Boston University, recording 61 points (21+40) while helping the Terriers advance to the championship game of the 2015 NCAA Tournament. An assistant captain of the 2014-15 Terriers squad, he ranked second in the nation in assists per game (0.98) and in total points (61). His four points (3+1) in two games played in this year’s NCAA Tournament earned him Most Outstanding Player of Northeast Regional and All-Regional Team honors in the NCAA Tournament.
“Evan is a very talented young player who has displayed exceptional growth during his four years at BU,” said Buffalo Sabres General Manager Tim Murray. “We look forward to adding another talented piece to our group.”
In his four seasons at Boston University, Rodrigues amassed 121 points (42+79) in 146 games played and registered a 0.83 points-per-game average. He was also named a Hockey East Second Team All-Star in his sophomore and senior seasons.
Prior to his collegiate career, the Etobicoke, Ontario native played two seasons with the Georgetown Raiders of the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL).
