James Nichols
Matthew Tkachuk is genuinly sad to see his former teammates leave for the New Jersey Devils.
The Florida Panthers star pulled no punches when reflecting on Evan Rodrigues and Jesper Boqvist during a recent episode of his podcast. As both forwards head to the Devils in the trade for goaltender Jacob Markstrom, Tkachuk made it clear just how much he values them—not only as players but as people. His words carry extra weight because they include a direct message he delivered to Jack Hughes about one of the new arrivals.
On Rodrigues, Tkachuk didn’t mince words. “E-Rod? Both Finals, both playoff runs … he is such a Swiss Army knife,’’ Tkachuk said. “Jersey is getting a good one. I was talking with Jack [Hughes] afterward, and I’m like ‘dude, you are going to love playing with this guy.’ I love playing with him. The performance he had in the Finals is the legit stuff of legends. We are not winning the Cup without him. He was that good. And, such a great guy, great family. Sad to see him go.
“One of my first texts to him was, ‘I really hope our paths cross again.’ I just love playing with him so much. [Evan’s] just such a great guy, a great culture guy, a guy who Jersey is going to have a ton of success because of a guy like him coming.”
Tkachuk’s endorsement paints Rodrigues as far more than a depth piece. From his versatility to his clutch playoff contributions, the Panthers star made it obvious why Hughes and the Devils should be excited. The sentiment expressed to Jack wasn’t just polite chatter—it came from real on-ice chemistry and respect built through high-stakes hockey. For Devils fans, it’s an early sign that Rodrigues brings the kind of intangibles that can elevate a young, skilled group.
Tkachuk wasn’t done there.
He made sure to highlight Boqvist’s contributions too, especially the moments when the team needed him most. “I want to shout out [Boqvist] too as well. Like not an easy job what he did last year. I remember two games in particular where he was out the game before and then came in and he was our best player in game five against Toronto. [Rodrigues] actually got hurt. [Boqvist] comes in, goes right up there with [Sam Reinhart] and [Sasha Barkov], and that’s got to be hard. Like you haven’t played in a while and you come right into the first line and playing the big minutes. And he scored a huge goal against Toronto and was just unreal that game. I just can’t believe he was able to play that well with not playing the last few in playoff hockey in game five—tough building. And then he did the same thing in game three against Carolina.
“He scored probably one of the nicest goals of the playoffs for our team at home. Just an unbelievable player, a workhorse, another culture culture guy. Again, just sad to see him go. What a great guy, great player.”
Devils fans are familiar qith Boqvist. However, perhaps not th championship winning version of the player. Tkachuks words capture the grind Boqvist explained he knew he needed to put himself through before leaving New Jersey in order to succeed in playoff hockey. He proved his ability to deliver under pressure by stepping into elevated roles, especially in hostile environments, which showed real character. Tkachuk clearly sees him as another player who makes a dressing room stronger.
Tkachuk’s comments send a strong signal to New Jersey. It should be no surprise to hear Tkachuk fill in his USA teammate with words of devotion regarding Hughes’ new teammates.
Make no mistake, the Devils just added two pieces who know how to win and how to build something meaningful. For a team looking to take the next step, that kind of validation from a proven champion like Tkachuk carries real weight.
