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Jake Evans and the Montreal Canadiens are unexpectedly a playoff contender in 2024-25. Montreal had a rather brutal start to the campaign and seemed rather listless on the ice. In fact, some believed the Canadiens had regressed based on their poor play. However, they turned things around and began climbing the standings.
The Canadiens have fallen behind the pack, to be fair. Still, Montreal is only six points behind the Detroit Red Wings for the East's second Wild Card spot. There is a gap between these two Original Six rivals without a doubt. But it is not a gap the Habs can't overcome.
Still, their position has created a ton of trade speculation around some of the team's pending free agents. As a result, Evans is a name popping up in trade rumors as the deadline begins to draw near. His contract expires this summer, and there appears to be no contract extension in sight.
Evans is in the midst of a career season. The former seventh-round pick has scored 11 goals and 27 points in 56 games this season. Moreover, he is one of the best penalty killers in the NHL this year. In fact, he and teammate Joel Armia lead the league in penalty-kill ice time.
There are reasons to be hesitant about trading for Evans. For instance, he is shooting at a rather unsustainable 19.6% through 56 games. For context, his career shooting percentage is 9.9%. And his single-season career high for a full season is 10.5%.
Even if the offense falls off a bit, he is a valuable bottom-six forward. And contending teams can certainly use the depth come Stanley Cup Playoff time. With this in mind, here are two potential landing spots for Jake Evans ahead of the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline.
The Devils have been linked to Canadiens' Jake Evans
The New Jersey Devils have sought forward depth all season long to this point. New Jersey is in contention for the playoffs and they don't want to simply make the dance. The Devils have specifically been linked to Evans as trade activity heated up a month or so ago.
It certainly makes sense why they want Evans. He is a center by trade but could move over to the wing if necessary. New Jersey values positional versatility, especially in players down the lineup.
The Devils are already a strong penalty-killing team. In fact, New Jersey has the third-best power play in the league, according to ESPN. Adding Evans to an already stout group gives New Jersey even more of an advantage when short a man.
New Jersey is positioning itself to make a move before the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline. Whether they can make a trade with the Canadiens work remains to be seen. In any event, Evans is a player who could be very valuable to the Devils' playoff run.
The Wild have struggled on special teams
The Minnesota Wild are in need of a top-six forward at the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline. Kirill Kaprizov is working his way back from surgery and their legitimate top-six options are in need of some insurance. However, Minnesota also needs help on special teams.
For all the success the Wild have had, they have struggled when up or down a man. Minnesota has the 24th best power play in the NHL, according to ESPN. They also possess the 29th-worst penalty-killing unit this season. Only the St. Louis Blues have a worse penalty kill than the Wild at this point.
Jake Evans won't fix Minnesota's power play woes. As mentioned, he is likely to suffer some offensive regression, given his sky-high shooting percentage. However, he could be what the Wild need as it pertains to the penalty kill. If they don't improve their penalty kill, any potential playoff run this year could be short-lived.
