The Buffalo Sabres have signed one of their three remaining restricted free agents, inking Evan Rodrigues to a two-year deal. He’ll earn $650K in each season, with the first year being a two-way contract. This leaves the Sabres with just Zemgus Girgensons and Nathan Beaulieu left to sign.
Rodrigues, 23, was signed out of Boston University after putting up a monster season alongside Jack Eichel scoring 61 points in 41 games. Amazingly, the Sabres would draft Eichel just a a few months later, though the pair haven’t taken the same path since then. Rodrigues has been mostly kept in the minor leagues, where he’s continued to produce with 60 points in 120 games, but could play a bigger role on the Sabres this season.
It’s not a guarantee that the scoring prowess continues at the next level though. In a 30-game taste with the NHL club last year, Rodrigues scored just six points even with relatively constant ice time though he spent most of that with Marcus Foligno and Brian Gionta, two players who aren’t really known for their offensive production at this point. It will be interesting to see if he ever gets a chance up the lineup, or if he’ll need to tweak his game and embrace a role as a bottom-six center.