Evan Rodrigues signs a one year contract.

One of the few remaining National Hockey League free agents that has been linked to a number of teams in the rumor mill is officially off the market.

According to a report from NHL insider Frank Seravalli, veteran forward Evan Rodrigues has agreed to a new 1 year contract with the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Colorado Avalanche. 

Seravalli reports that the deal will carry an average annual value and cap hit of $2 million, solid value for a player that put up 19 goals last season while adding 24 assists for a total of 43 points with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

This appears to be a case of Rodrigues betting on himself with the hopes that a future increase in the NHL salary cap will lead him to a better deal down the line. A successful season with the defending Stanley Cup champions is certainly an excellent way to put himself in that kind of a position moving forward.