New Penguins forward Evan Rodrigues offers versatility

It would be a stretch to say Evan Rodrigues has found his role with the Pittsburgh Penguins through a handful of games with his new team.

After being acquired from the Buffalo Sabres in a trade Feb. 24, Rodrigues made his Penguins debut in a 2-1 road loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Feb. 26 primarily centering a fourth line with Dominik Simon and Sam Lafferty on the wings.

Then, in a 3-2 loss to the Anaheim Ducks Feb. 28 and a 5-0 defeat to the San Jose Sharks one day later, Rodrigues mainly was stationed on the left wing of a line with Teddy Blueger at center and Brandon Tanev at right wing.

To open Tuesday’s game against the Ottawa Senators at PPG Paints Arena, Rodrigues found himself on the left wing on a line with Lafferty at center and Anthony Angello manning the right wing.

Four games in, and Rodrigues really hasn’t established himself in any one role.

That’s exactly why the Penguins acquired him.

Capable of playing all three forward positions, Rodrigues’ malleability is what appealed to Penguins management when it acquired him and forward Conor Sheary in a deal that sent forward Dominik Kahun to Buffalo.

Given the injuries the Penguins have dealt with all season, to say nothing of the current undisclosed ailments sidelining Simon and forward Zach Aston-Reese, Rodrigues’ diversity is particularly useful to a coach filling out a pockmarked lineup card.

“He’s been a versatile player for us,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “That was one of the reasons we acquired him, that one of the things we liked about him was his ability to play all three forward positions. He can really skate, so I think he adds to our team speed. He can kill penalties. He can take faceoffs. So he’s a real utility guy I think that we can plug into a lot of different situations depending on what the need is of the team.”

Listed as a center, Rodrigues figured out how to adapt among the three positions at an early age.

“Pretty much that’s what I’ve done my whole life,” said Rodrigues, 26. “I grew up as a young kid playing center. As I got older into the junior ranks, I played wing. In college, played a little bit of both. Once I got pro, I was mostly a winger. Then my second year in Rochester, I played center. I’ve pretty much done it my whole career, bouncing back and forth.”

Undrafted out of Boston University, that versatility played a role in Rodrigues earning a two-year, entry-level contract with the Sabres in April 2015 and establishing himself as a full-time NHLer in 2018-19 when he set career highs in games (74) and points (29).

“It obviously helps being versatile and being able to play in different positions and different situations. It gives you a little bit of an upper hand in slotting myself into a lineup. I think it’s definitely helped me, and it’s something that I take pride in.”

During his breakout last season, Rodriques was utilized in 11 of the Sabres’ 12 forward positions spread out over four lines.

“His big thing is he can play in all situations,” Sheary said. “He’s on the (penalty kill) right now. When we were in Buffalo, he played power play, penalty kill. He played late-game situations. He can kind of do it all. He really takes pride in that.”

Said Rodrigues: “Each, right, center and left, they all have their perks. Playing left in the (offensive) zone is nicer. You’re on your off side and being able to be open the rink. In the (defensive) zone, playing right is easier just protecting the puck. As a centerman, I like gaining speed and keeping my momentum all round the ice and being involved in the (defensive) zone and (offensive) zone. Each one has its perks. But I enjoy playing all three.”

Rodrigues did not enjoy the same success this season under new coach Ralph Krueger, who made Rodrigues a healthy scratch regularly.

“Early on, I wasn’t playing much,” said Rodrigues, who averaged 1:55 of short-handed ice time in his first three games with the Penguins. “I started the year as a healthy scratch. When I did get in, I wasn’t playing many minutes. It’s hard to get in a rhythm, hard to be consistent and produce when you’re not really playing. I thought once 2020 came around, I started playing more and the puck starting going in. Things started going my way. My last 10, 15 games in (Buffalo) were really good. Obviously, trying to continue that here.”

Rodrigues grew so dissatisfied with his limited deployment, he requested a trade.

“It definitely wasn’t easy,” Rodrigues said of the decision to make the request. “It was something I thought was necessary because it’s our livelihood, and it’s our profession. If you’re not playing and you’re not getting the chance to do your job, you want to go somewhere to try to do that. It definitely wasn’t an easy decision, but I’m definitely happy where I am right now.”

Right now, the Penguins still are moving Rodrigues around the lineup.

He’s comfortable with that arrangement.

“As a winger, you’ve got to focus more on stops and starts during the games and being in the right positions in the (defensive) zone and just kind of holding your area, whereas at center, you can freeflow a little bit more,” Rodrigues said. “It’s just a mentality and getting in the right frame of mind and being prepared for whatever position you are that day.”

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