The Colorado Avalanche have signed center Evan Rodrigues of Toronto, Ontario to a one-year contract worth $2 million according to Rogers Sportsnet. The Avalanche become the third team that Rodrigues has played for following five seasons with the Buffalo Sabres and the last three seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
In 82 games with the Penguins in 2021-22, Rodrigues had 19 goals and 24 assists for 43 points. He was a +3 with 14 penalty minutes, eight power-play points, two game-winning goals, 243 shots on goal, 183 faceoff wins, 30 blocked shots, 89 hits, 33 takeaways, and 32 giveaways. Of Rodrigues’s eight power-play points, seven were power-play goals. Rodrigues’s game-winning goals came in a 4-1 Penguins win over the Vancouver Canucks on November 24, and in a 5-3 Penguins win over the St. Louis Blues on January 5. Defenseman Kris Letang of Montreal, Quebec picked up the primary assist on Rodrigues’s game-winner against the Blues.
It should be no surprise that Rodrigues had career-highs in many categories in 2021-22. That is because this past year Rodrigues played a complete season for the first time. He had career highs in goals, assists, points, plus/minus, power-play points, game-wining goals, shots on goal, and hits.
In his career, Rodrigues has 53 goals and 76 assists for 129 points in 316 games. He is a -30 with 77 penalty minutes, 22 power-play points, five game-winning goals, three shorthanded points, 701 shots on goal, 922 faceoff wins, 123 blocked shots, 201 hits, 128 takeaways and 120 giveaways.
