Canadiens Centre Jake Evans Linked to Metropolitan Top Contender, per David Pagnotta
NHL insider David Pagnotta has linked Canadiens center Jake Evans to the New Jersey Devils.
The Devils figure to be contenders for the Stanley Cup this season as they currently sit tied for 3rd in the NHL for points.
As such, they will almost certainly be buyers at the March 7th trade deadline.
According to multiple NHL insiders including David Pagnotta, Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald has his eye on Canadiens center Jake Evans.
But they want to look kind of in that range. They got a little bit of cap wiggle room. He's also been looking, from what I'm hearing, at potentially creating cap space if the right larger deal falls into place for him and the Devils."
This has been backed up by fellow NHL insider Pierre LeBrun, who has also reported that the Devils have inquired about Evans.
The 28-year-old is on pace for a career year this season with 10 goals and 23 points through 44 games.
His career highs came in the 2021-22 season when he scored 13 goals and had 29 points in 72 games, so he could nearly double that production if his rate this year continues.
For a player that has a cap hit of under 2 million dollars, that is a great deal for Montreal.
With all of that being said, the Habs may be reluctant to trade Evans as their season is far from over.
They are one of the hottest teams in the NHL, propelling themselves into the playoff hunt.
As things stand today, the team is just 2 points from a wild-card spot but they have at least one game in hand on nearly every team ahead of them in the standings, and for some teams like the Bruins, they have several.
Of course, the team may very well fall out of the playoff picture by early March.
We will just have to wait and see how the next few month and a half plays out for both teams.
