The Toronto Maple Leafs have less than a week until the NHL trade deadline. They are reportedly searching for a third-line or even a second-line center if they can afford one. They could been in the market for a defenseman as well. There have been many names thrown around as to who the Leafs are interested in.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have been linked to forwards Scott Laughton, Brayden Schenn, Yanni Gourde, Brock Nelson, Dylan Cozens, and Ryan Donato, and defensemen Luke Schenn, Jamie Oleksiak, Rasmus Ristolainen, and Noah Dobson. However, there is a slim chance that Leafs GM Brad Treliving can afford to acquire more than one of these players.
Recently, two new names have been added to the mix. According to Pierre Lebrun from TSN, the Maple Leafs are among the teams that have inquired about pending UFA forwards Jake Evans and Joel Armia from the Montreal Canadiens. The Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, New Jersey Devils, Minnesota Wild, and Winnipeg Jets are all in the mix.
The Canadiens have made it clear that they are in no rush to trade either player. They will only consider moving them if they receive serious offers. With seven draft picks in the first three rounds of the 2025 draft and another four in the first three rounds of the 2026 draft, the Canadiens are in no hurry to trade either Evans or Armia. They want young players who can help them now or very soon.
Could the Leafs Acquire Evans or Armia?
Jake Evans would be the better player for the Leafs to acquire. He plays center, which the Leafs need, and has a lower cap hit. Joel Armia is a right-winger with a salary cap hit of $3.4 million, while Evans has a salary cap hit of $1.7 million, which would be easier for the Leafs to manage.
(Salary Cap information from puckpedia.com)
There are a few things to like about Evans if you're the Leafs. He has 11 goals and 16 assists for 27 points in 59 games. That would put him seventh in Leafs scoring as of Friday morning and sixth amongst Leafs forwards. He has a 52.2% faceoff winning percentage and averages over 15 minutes a game of ice time. (Stats from hockey-reference.com)
Evans might be 6'0 and 190 pounds, but he still doesn't shy away from playing physically when needed. He has 88 hits and 37 blocked shots this season. My biggest concern with adding Evans is his giveaways. He has 45 giveaways compared to eight takeaways. Now, these stats have looked better in previous seasons, but it's still concerning.
As for Armia, I don't see why the Leafs would want to pay more in terms of cap space to acquire a player who isn't as good as Evans. Given the choice, I think Evans is the better player, plays the position the Leafs need most, and he costs less. It should be an easy decision for Brad Treliving to make if does decide to trade with the Canadiens.