Chicago Blackhawks set to acquire two-time Stanley Cup Champion in a trade with the Florida Panthers

The Florida Panthers are facing a cap crunch after locking up their core with big extensions. Despite Aaron Ekblad taking a generous hometown discount, Florida is still nearly $3 million over the cap and must cut some salary before the season begins.

According to multiple sources, Evan Rodrigues, who's set to earn $3M a year for the next two seasons, could leave the team on the trade market this summer.

Rodrigues, 31, has been a critical piece during their back-to-back Stanley Cups, scoring 30 points over the last two runs.

During the 2024-25 NHL regular season, the forward scored 32 points, including 15 goals, in 82 games.

His great versatility and experience make him an interesting target for a team like the Chicago Blackhawks, but it's no sure thing that the Panthers will trade him.

Florida's GM Bill Zito could place Matthew Tkachuk on LTIR to keep Rodrigues and re-sign the restricted free agent Mackie Samoskevich, depending on Tkachuk's injury.

With that said, the Panthers have enough offensive depth to afford losing Rodrigues for a draft pick, which could be used at the trade deadline to bring more talent to the team as they look to win a third straight Stanley Cup.

While there's no doubt Rodrigues would like to stay in Florida and try to go for another run, his fate is in someone else's hands.

If he ends up in Chicago, he might not be able to compete for a Stanley Cup for a few more years, but the team is poised for greatness, and Rodrigues could play a role in what's to come.