Florida Panthers
Trade Target: Evan Rodrigues
The general manager of the reigning Cup champions, Bill Zito, had a masterful offseason where he was able to bring back all three of Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand, and Aaron Ekblad. While he was able to find a way to bring all three of those key pieces back, they are over the cap by 3.75 million dollars.
Rodrigues is in the third year of a four-year contract, where he is making three million dollars against the cap. If they are going to make a move to shed money, Rodrigues seems like a logical option.
He is another option who would bring versatility to the lineup, as he can play up the middle as well as on the wing. Ideally, he slots in on the third line for this team, whether it is as a centre or on the wing, but this is another bottom-six acquisition in my eyes. Rodrigues played all 82 games last year, where he scored 15 goals and 17 assists for a total of 32 points.
There aren't many reasonable trade options on the Panthers' roster, so while he doesn't address the need for a top-six forward, he does give more depth to the lineup. He is also a defensively responsible player, which is especially important come playoff time.