How Evan Rodrigues adapts his game based on his linemates — and the luxury it gives the Panthers
Evan Rodrigues knows his role with the Florida Panthers. His priority on the ice is to help maximize his linemates’ potential, molding and crafting his game to best suit the teammates he’s grouped with on any given night.
And on any given night, that cast can readily change.
Rodrigues has the sort of versatility in his game that allows coach Paul Maurice to move him up and down forward lines with ease when he needs to shake up his lineup or needs to patch a hole due to injury.
Sometimes, that puts him on the top line with Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart, two of the NHL’s top two-way players.
Other times, as has been the case most often recently, he’s with Sam Bennett and Mackie Samoskevich, filling the void left over the past month by Matthew Tkachuk’s apparent groin injury sustained during the 4 Nations Face-Off.
And other times still, he can play a bottom-six role, grinding it out and turning to the physical aspect of his game while still possessing a lethal shot that can get in the back of the net.
He can play all three forward spots — both wings and center — which adds yet another luxury for Maurice to work with when crafting lineups.
“Depending on who you’re playing with, you change it up a little bit,” Rodrigues said. “Benny and Samo obviously have a ton of speed, and you try to play more reliable with them and just try to be on the D side of the puck so they can buzz around a little bit. And Rhino and Barky, two extremely smart players that are incredible protecting the puck and prolonging play. So for me, with them, it’s just getting in and on it, getting the puck, checking and trying to create turnovers so that those guys can capitalize on those on those plays.”
While doing this could compromise his individual statistics at times, Rodrigues still entered Saturday’s game against the Washington Capitals with 14 goals (two more than he had last season, his first with the Panthers) and 27 points. He also has 106 hits — sixth-most among Florida forwards — while averaging a little more than 15 minutes of ice time per game.
“I just try to compliment the guys I’m playing with,” Rodrigues said. “I like to think I’m a pretty smart player and have the ability to read off different guys. Whether it’s playing left, right or center — I’ve been taking a lot of face offs lately — I just like to think the game as much as I can.”
What a shot
Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling registered a shot that clocked at 105.05 mph in the first period of Florida’s 1-0 overtime win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday.
According to the NHL, it’s the second-hardest shot tracked in the NHL since the 2021-22 season, behind only a 106 mph shot from the Buffalo Sabres’ Tage Thompson on Dec. 31.
This and that
▪ Barkov’s overtime goal on Thursday was the 10th of his NHL career, making him the 74th player in NHL history to have double-digit overtime goals.
▪ Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky is one shutout away from the 50th of his career, a feat accomplished by just 32 goalies all-time.
▪ Forward Carter Verhaeghe on Saturday will skate in his 400th career NHL game. Of those, 348 have come with the Panthers.
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