Free agency has been going on for six weeks now in the hockey world, but it’s been a tough market for many players looking for their next deals. The upper limit of the NHL’s salary cap has barely budged in the last five years, advancing just 3.7% from $79.5 million during the 2018-19 season to now $82.5 million for the 2022-23 season.
That squeeze has to put a crunch on some players when others are still signing long and lucrative contracts, and that’s no better illustrated than the plight of Evan Rodrigues. He’s a prime age of 29.