31-year old Stanley Cup Champion set to be acquired by the Detroit Red Wings

The Detroit Red Wings want to get to the Stanley Cup finals. What better way than acquiring someone who's done it twice?

That would involve pitching a trade to GM Bill Zito of the Florida Panthers for forward Evan Rodrigues, a scrappy middle-six forward who is a proven playoff performer.

Rodrigues would add solid depth down the middle, where it's lacking, as he's a true two-way forward. He's been on The Fourth Period's summer trade list for some time and could be a potential suitor for a new look Red Wings team.

While the prospect of trading Rodrigues might be untenable for the Panthers, their cap situation is in dire straits, requiring a move of some kind.

Moving his $3 million AAV cap hit would get the team the compliance they need and flexibility to acquire another depth player in their place at a cheaper rate.

The trade pitch from Heavy.com:

At the moment, the Panthers are $3.725 million over their cap limit, and moving Rodrigues would give them some breathing room.

All the while, the return for Rodrigues is primarily futures, well, because GM Bill Zito has decided to turn his cap situation into what we've seen teams like the Tampa Bay Lightning and Vegas Golden Knights do: spend to the brink.

The Panthers get a future 2nd-round pick in return for Rodrigues, and the Red Wings get a 32-point (15-17) scorer in 82 games who could turn out to be a reliable 2nd or 3rd-line forward.

Rodrigues can play in multiple scenarios, including the PK and on the power-play, giving the team needed flexibility and skill on special teams.

Lagesson and Leonard will head to the Charlotte Checkers to add to the team's depth charts in case of a call-up.