Key Panthers Forward Reportedly on the Trade Block, Canadiens Emerge as Potential Suitors
There's action brewing with the Florida Panthers right now, and it appears that GM Bill Zito is on the verge of completing a trade involving one of his forwards. Stay close to your screens - the Montreal Canadiens could potentially be part of the deal.
The Florida Panthers are currently the NHL's most dominant team and will be extremely tough to beat in the 2026 playoffs, having just won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2024 and 2025.
GM Bill Zito has been very active in recent years and has pulled off several major trades, including the blockbuster deal that brought Matthew Tkachuk from the Calgary Flames to Florida in exchange for, among others, MacKenzie Weegar and Jonathan Huberdeau.
At the time he left Florida, Huberdeau had just completed a spectacular season with 30 goals and 115 points in 80 games. No one expected him to be traded - not even Huberdeau himself.
One of the few more disappointing trades made by Bill Zito was the deal with the Montreal Canadiens to acquire Ben Chiarot in March 2022. The defenseman ended up playing only 30 games with the Panthers, including 10 in the playoffs, and struggled during his time there.
In return, the Canadiens received Ty Smilanic, a 2023 first-round pick that was used to acquire Alex Newhook, and a 2022 fourth-round pick that became Cedrick Guindon.
Bill Zito and the Florida Panthers Front Office Are About to Trade Forward Evan Rodrigues
Unless there's a major change of plans, Evan Rodrigues' time in Florida is coming to an end, and the forward is expected to be traded soon.
At 31 years old, Rodrigues is a 5'11", 182-pound center with plenty of experience - nearly 550 NHL games. In the playoffs this spring, he posted 15 points in 21 games and was very solid.
He carries a $3,000,000 annual salary through the 2026-27 season, making him a low-cost center who can produce and still has a few good seasons ahead of him. Stay tuned!
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 24 | 307 ANSWERS Key Panthers Forward Reportedly on the Trade Block, Canadiens Emerge as Potential Suitors Do you think Kent Hughes will pull off another major trade before the start of next season? | ||
| Yes | 230 | 74.9 % |
| No | 77 | 25.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
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