The Montreal Canadiens have been wrestling with trading Jake Evans as they try to work out a long-term contract. The issue with Evans is that he has been playing himself out of a Canadiens sweater, as many feel there will be teams willing to pay him more than the Habs can afford.
Kent Hughes and the front office have been doing everything possible to resolve the situation, but sometimes things don't work out. If they don't soon, the Canadiens will have no choice but to trade him before the deadline.
Make no mistake: Evans will be of massive value to a contending team for the playoff push. However, according to a report from Marco D'Amico and RG, there is a mix of contending and rebuilding teams interested in acquiring the bottom-six center.
The Los Angeles Kings, Seattle Kraken, Chicago Blackhawks, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, Tampa Bay Lightning, Minnesota Wild, and Nashville Predators are the teams who have reportedly shown interest. It's a mix of teams with plenty of cap space to sign Evans to the long-term extension he is searching for and other organizations who feel it'd be worth the risk to acquire him as a rental for the playoff push.
Top Contending Teams
The Lightning team stands out as one that would make sense for Evans. Anthony Cirelli played the Evans role for Tampa Bay during their Stanley Cup runs, but he has now moved up the lineup. Inserting Evans into their bottom six and penalty kill could be a piece the Lightning are missing.
The Wild are also desperate for some more forward depth, as they started the year as one of the league's top teams but have fallen off. They currently have Kirill Kaprizov and Jakub Lauko out with an injury and Ryan Hartman with a suspension. With those forwards out of the lineup, the Wild haven't looked like the same team.
Top Non-Contending Teams
The Blackhawks are in desperate need of some more depth to surround Connor Bedard, and Evans would be a good young piece to add to the roster. Chicago needs top-end offensive talent as well, but they could have looked at his numbers this season on the fourth line and seen the potential for more of an offensive role.
The Predators are attempting to get younger, and Evans would be the younger version of Ryan O'Reilly. He may not be able to give as much of an offensive upside as O'Reilly's 69 points in 82 games in his first season, but he can play in similar roles with a bit more responsibility than in Montreal.
It's hard to predict where Evans will go at the deadline, but the contending teams will likely give the Habs more value in a trade. The non-contending teams might back out of the bidding war in hopes of getting another shot at Evans in the offseason if the contending team views him as a rental.
Regardless, the number of teams interested in Evans is great news for the Canadiens. The trade deadline is all about a bidding war, and Kent Hughes and the front office could maximize their return if they play their cards right. With the moves Hughes made since he took the job, I have no doubts he'll be able to do it.