Jake Evans, Montreal Canadiens
The last time the Maple Leafs hooked up with the Montreal Canadiens at the trade deadline to bolster their offense, they obtained disgruntled star forward Tomas Plekanec at the 2018 deadline. However, that move sure didn’t turn out the way the Leafs expected as Plekanec would struggle down the stretch, producing just two assists in 17 games played. Toronto would ultimately bow out in the first round to Boston that year.
But that shouldn’t deter the Leafs from pursuing another Canadiens player this time around in Jake Evans. Evans is one of those bottom-six players that could do a bit of everything. He can provide some secondary scoring, as he is on pace to surpass his career highs in goals (13), assists (16) and points (29). Evans is responsible defensively and can lay the occasional bruising hit or two on his opponents.
Most importantly, he is one of the top penalty killers in the league, while also producing 3 shorthanded goals and 6 shorthanded points at the same time. So if the Leafs want to lessen the load on Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews down the stretch and keep them healthy, Evans would definitely be a strong option for their penalty kill unit.
Please note that Jake Evans re-signed in Montreal shortly after this article was submitted. He is not likely to be traded now, though he was not given any no-trade protection, so a sign and trade is not completely off the table.
Yanni Gourde, Seattle Kraken
Having previously played on two Stanley Cup winning teams with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Yanni Gourde knows exactly how to get it done at the biggest stage. After moving to the Seattle Kraken following the expansion draft in 2021, Gourde’s numbers may have dropped off a bit in recent years, but he still possesses the valuable skillset of been a strong two-way player in the league.
This season, the 33-year-old forward has put up just 6 goals, 10 assists for 16 points in 35 games played with the Kraken. But by joining an offensive juggernaut like the Leafs, he could see his production significantly rise once again while further continuing his defensive prowess. Currently, Gourde is out after undergoing sports hernia surgery, but his recovery timeline has him back some time later in March.
If the Maple Leafs are willing to take the gamble that he will be at full health upon his return, Gourde could become one of their x-factors down the stretch and into the playoffs.