The Pittsburgh Penguins are reuniting with Evan Rodrigues. The team traded him away during the NHL playoffs; apart of the deal that brought Kasperi Kapanen back to Pittsburgh. But despite acquiring him, the Toronto Maple Leafs did not extend a qualifying offer to the restricted-free agents Rodrigues. This made him an unrestricted free agent, opening the door to the Penguins signing him. The team announced they have signed him to a one-year deal. The deal carries a value of 700k.
Still not finalized, but hearing Evan Rodrigues headed back to Pittsburgh (traded from Pens to the Leafs in Kapanen deal, Toronto didn't QO him)
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) October 9, 2020
Evan Rodrigues Returning to Pittsburgh
Rodrigues has only ever played seven games as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins. He was brought into town during the Trade Deadline, all the way back in February. Rodrigues joined Conor Sheary in a deal that sent Dominik Kahun to the Buffalo Sabres. In the seven games he appeared in, Rodrigues scored one goal and no assists. This gave him 10 points on the season, including the nine that he scored in 38 games with Buffalo before the trade.
Rodrigues was a fan-favorite to many during his tenure in Buffalo. While not a prolific scorer, he did earn a reputation as a very high-impact defensive-centreman. But his absence on the scoresheet was a common knock against him. He scored 62 points in 154 NHL games before the 2019-20 season, earning him minimal playing time. Rodrigues served a similar role in his short stretch with Pittsburgh, averaging only 11 minutes of ice time per game.
Rodrigues’ reuniting with Pittsburgh follows a trend. The team’s acquisition of Sheary was also a return-home, with Sheary playing in three seasons with Pittsburgh before being flipped to Buffalo for the 2018-19 campaign. He came back at the Deadline, though, and proceeded to not miss a beat. In eight games with Pittsburgh following the February trade, Sheary scored four points. He added an additional two points in four games during the NHL’s Qualifying Round, before the Penguins season was ended early at the hands of the Montreal Canadiens.
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