Montreal Canadiens centre Jake Evans could be a good fit for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and as a pending UFA on a bad team, he's sure to be available.
Most notably contending teams looking for depth down the middle could be interested in the 28-year-old pending free-agent. Moreover, Evans’ $1.7 million cap hit makes him a highly attractive rental as it wouldn’t break the bank to bring him aboard.
The rumoured frontrunner for Evans is New Jersey. According to reports, the Devils are working the phones to make this deal happen. Like the Toronto Maple Leafs, the New Jersey Devils have talented centres at the top, but lack much beyond their top two in Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes.
Beyond Auston Matthews and John Tavares, the Leafs lack reliable centres. Max Domi has failed to gain a solid foothold on a centre position, while Pontus Holmberg and David Kampf are solid fourth-line options with little offensive upside.
Furthermore, Tavares’ recent injury proved the Leafs are thin down the middle. The club needs a middle-six centre who can chew up minutes and provide solid, reliable two-way play. Evans has put up 11 goals and 27 points in 56 games.
Those are fantastic numbers considering how bad the Habs have been this season, especially over their last 10 games. Montreal’s 2-7-1 has effectively sunk them in the standing, prompting the Habs to explore moving Evans rather than signing him.
If they do, the asking price, especially for a division rival, could be higher than anticipated.
Jake Evans won’t come cheap for Toronto Maple Leafs
Evans looks like a good fit for Toronto. He’s reliable and has a cheap contract. He won’t light up the scoreboard but has the ability to provide more depth scoring than Domi and certainly far more than Holmberg and Kampf.
So, the big question is: How much would Evans cost the Toronto Maple Leafs?
In my estimation, the asking price would be high to begin with. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Habs ask for a second-round pick and a prospect. Montreal may have its eye on someone like Fraser Minten or perhaps Easton Cowan (though that is ridiculous).
Moving a high-end prospect for Evans would be a serious mistake. There’s no reason for the Leafs to move a top prospect for a third-line centre. However, moving picks might make more sense. Perhaps a combination of picks, something along the lines of a second and a third-rounder could get the job done.
Ultimately, the Leafs must kick the tires on Evans. Of course, a top-six centre would be a better addition. The Leafs need significantly better upgrades than Evans, and if he's their best upgrade they aren't going to go far in the playoffs, but Evans would be a great secondary addition if the Leafs also acquire a top defenseman like, for example, Vince Dunn or Noah Dobson.
If the Leafs decide that they don't want to make their biggest splash at centre ice, then Evans is the perfect choice.