Earlier this summer, The Fourth Period reported that the Chicago Blackhawks are one of the teams linked to Florida Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues. Given the Blackhawks' need for more skilled forwards, it is understandable that the Blackhawks have been connected to a two-time Stanley Cup winner like Rodrigues.

Yet, during the latest episode of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman made it clear that he believes that Rodrigues will end up staying put with the Panthers, rather than being traded to free up cap space.

"I think that a number of fans have wondered if Florida will have to trade someone like Evan Rodrigues off their roster to make things work. I don't believe that's going to be happening," Friedman said. "First of all, they consider Rodrigues an important player, but secondly, I think we're going to find out at some point here that (Matthew) Tkachuk will miss the start of the season."

Rodrigues certainly would have had the potential to be a nice addition to the Blackhawks' roster, as he is an impactful and versatile forward with plenty of playoff experience. In 82 games this past season with the Panthers, he recorded 15 goals and 32 points in 82 games. He then followed that up with two goals, 13 assists, 15 points, and a plus-3 rating in 21 playoff games during the Panthers' Stanley Cup championship run this spring.

Overall, the idea of a Rodrigues addition for the Blackhawks would have been nice, but it appears that Chicago will need to explore other options if they hope to add to their forward group before the season is here.

NHL News: Former Blackhawks Goalie RetiresA former Chicago Blackhawks goalie is hanging up the skates, as Anton Khudobin has retired from professional hockey. 

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