What is Evan Rodrigues going to bring to the Penguins?

With the Penguins having traded for Evan Rodrigues yesterday before the trade deadline, many questions came up from people wondering what kind of player the team was getting.

Rodrigues was signed as a college free agent from Boston University in 2015 by former general manager Tim Murray.

With 5 goals in 38 games this season, a big question is what can Rodrigues provide from an offensive perspective.

Fellow SB Nation site, Die By the Blade’s site manager Chad DeDominicis offered his perspective on Rodrigues.

“He’s a nice transition player. Solid in his own end, but isn’t going to give you a lot offensively. He drives shot share which is nice, but has a low quality shot. I’d say his speed is average. Overall he’s not going to wow you by any means but he fits a role and I think will be a nice addition, especially defensively, for a team like the Penguins. Also, he did ask for a trade earlier this season after being scratched a few times earlier in the season.”

Last season, Rodrigues rated highly in terms of Goals Above Replacement for the Sabres.

While he may not be a flashy player offensively, Rodrigues does show that he can think the game at a high level and know when not to force a play.

With Rodrigues on a $2M AAV contract that takes him to restricted free agency for the coming summer, a nice bump in his offensive stat lines playing with the Penguins would be helpful for him in negotiations, while his play will give the Penguins a little bit more offensive depth.