Maple Leafs Show Interest in Jake Evans But the Asking Price is a Bit Ridiculous
The Toronto Maple Leafs have been looking to trade for a third-line center since the start of the NHL season.
Names like Brock Nelson, Brayden Schenn and Yanni Gourde have been linked to the team, but Jake Evans of the Montreal Canadiens is a new and intriguing option for the Leafs.
Can the Toronto Maple Leafs grab a forward from their division rival in the Montreal Canadiens?
While trading within the division can be tricky, NHL Insider Pierre LeBrun reports that the price for Evans might be right.
Jake Evans has 11 goals and 16 assists in 55 games this season and he has an excellent 52.2% faceoff win rate.
He's in the final year of a three-year, $5.1 million contract which is making him an affordable option.
Evans brings more than just offense since he's effective on the penalty kill and he can contribute to the second power-play unit, and plays with the kind of physicality that Craig Berube values for his team.
LeBrun suggests that Evans could be acquired for a second-round pick and for the Leafs, this is a reasonable price to pay to upgrade the team.
It keeps top prospects like Fraser Minten and Easton Cowan off the table, along with their 2026 first-round pick.
Toronto is in win-now mode and a second-rounder that will likely be a late pick seems like a small price to pay for a player who can immediately improve the team.
Jake Evans has more goals than Nick Robertson and Pontus Holmberg combined and brings consistency to Toronto's bottom six.
His 19.6% shooting percentage would rank second on the team and his style of play fits perfectly into Toronto's system.
It's time for Brad Treliving to make a move and Jake Evans could be the key to a deeper playoff run.
