Three Original Six Teams Linked to Panthers' Two-Time Stanley Cup Champion

The Florida Panthers have now won back to back Stanley Cups, defeating the Edmonton Oilers on both occasions in 2024 and 2025.

The Panthers then impressed fans everywhere by managing to re-sign Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad, and Brad Marchand to new multi-year contracts.

Meanwhile, the Panthers have already lost players like Nate Schmidt and Vitek Vanecek to free agency; both players signed with the Utah Mammoth.

There stands a good chance that they may be forced to trade a popular figure on their current roster, Evan Rodrigues. He has 2 years left on his current contract, but the Panthers are in a cap crunch and are $-2,950,000 on the salary cap right now.

To become cap compliant, Rodrigues and his $3 million AAV (average annual value) could be a salary casualty.

Per a new report from David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, there is a trio of Original 6 teams that could be interested in Rodrigues.

He listed the Toronto Maple Leafs, Chicago Blackhawks, and Detroit Red Wings as potential possibilities, while also listing the Minnesota Wild as another potential destination for Rodrigues if the Panthers were forced to trade him and his contract.

Rodrigues was signed to a 4-year deal by the Panthers in 2023 just weeks after what was their 1st of 3 straight trips to the Stanley Cup Final. He's played in 162 regular season games since joining the Panthers and has 71 points (27G, 44A).

Never drafted into the NHL, he originally signed a 3-year entry-level contract with the Buffalo Sabres in 2015, and has also played for the Pittsburgh Penguins and Colorado Avalanche.