The Toronto Maple Leafs are on a mission. Part of that mission includes making up for the offense lost by trading Mitch Marner to the Vegas Golden Knights.
Heavy.com proposed a deal that would help the Maple Leafs improve their offensive depth with versatile winger Evan Rodrigues of the Florida Panthers.
Maple Leafs Acquire:
- Evan Rodrigues
Panthers Acquire:
- Nick Robertson
The Maple Leafs would acquire a proven middle-six winger. Rodrigues originally entered the NHL in 2015 with the Buffalo Sabres as an undrafted player. In 2024-25, he recorded 15 goals and 17 assists for 32 total points.
The Panthers would add Robertson, a 5-foot-9, 178-lbs forward, drafted by the Maple Leafs 53rd overall in the 2019 entry draft. He recorded 22 points in 69 regular season games, while adding two points in three playoff games.
Evan Rodrigues Linked to the Maple Leafs
The 32-year-old Stanley Cup-winning winger has been linked to the Maple Leafs multiple times. Sportsnet analyst Nick Kypreos believes that Rodrigues could be the next cap casualty for the Stanley Cup champions.
“Today, we look at a team that is $3.725 million over the cap and have to wonder how they’ll become compliant before next season begins,” Kypreos writes. “The quickest way to take a bite out of their overage would be to trade Evan Rodrigues, who makes $3 million against the cap for another two seasons.”
Rodrigues has entered the third year of his four-year $3-million contract that pays him a modest $775,000 base salary. The Maple Leafs hold $2,932,222 in projected cap space. However, teams are allowed to go over the cap by 10 percent during the offseason. Acquiring Rodrigues would allow the Maple Leafs to be more flexible regarding a return for either Calle Jarnkrok or David Kampf to remain under the salary cap ceiling.
David Pagnotta has also connected the Panthers forward to the Maple Leafs.
“Rodrigues might be a casualty of Florida’s salary cap situation,” Pagnotta wrote. “He has two years remaining on his contract and is an attractive asset for another Cup contender if the Panthers opt to move him.”
Pagnotta also reports that the Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, and Minnesota Wild have been connected to Rodrigue. Adding a Stanley Cup winner to the Maple Leafs dressing room would work wonders for pushing the team into a Cup-contending team for many years to come.
Panthers Could Provide Robertson With Fresh Start
It’s no secret that Robertson hasn’t always been happy in Toronto. Sportsnet analyst Luke Fox wrote about Robertson’s trade request after being a healthy scratch for a pivotal Game 7 playoff contest against the Boston Bruins.
In the summer before the 2024-25 season, the Maple Leafs and Robertson agreed to a new one-year contract. It was another opportunity for the team to show their commitment to the player and vice versa.
“We look at Nick as an excellent player,” Brad Treliving said during the summer. “And there’s great opportunity for Nick here, and we need him to be a good player for us.”
Yet, the two parties find themselves in a similar scenario this offseason, with a salary arbitration hearing scheduled for August 3rd. The Maple Leafs tendered Robertson a $918,750 qualifying offer in the first week of July to retain his rights.
Finding a role with the Panthers could be the opportunity that the 23-year-old winger needs. Landing with the back-to-back Cup Champions would be a nice bonus to boot.
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This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
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