On Commission Athletique's latest episode of "Radar" with Anthony Desaulniers, top NHL insider Pierre LeBrun revealed that Montreal Canadiens center Jake Evans is one of potentially a dozen New Jersey Devils trade targets shortlisted to address the third- or fourth-line center position. The Devils, according to LeBrun, covet Evans due to his being a right-shot center who excels in the faceoff circle and can kill penalties, something the Devils have not addressed since losing Michael McLeod.
Note: The translation below is from French to English and was edited for the sake of clarity.
"Among the teams that already have Jake Evans on their list is the New Jersey Devils, according to my information. They and others would like to look for a center player for their third line or fourth line," LeBrun said. "And a right-hander, on top of that, who can win faceoffs and kill penalties. So, they are not the only ones. There is a list. Each team, like the Devils, that aspires to win the Stanley Cup has a list of 10 to 12 players at this time of the year. But Jake Evans is one of 10 to 12 players on the Devils' list."
How Jake Evans fits the Devils
Evans, 28, is a former fourth-round pick in the final year of the three-year, $5.1 million contract extension he signed with the Canadiens on Oct. 3, 2021.
The Devils, on the other hand, have Curtis Lazar, Tomas Tatar, Justin Dowling, and Nathan Bastian on expiring contracts. They'll also need to re-sign Luke Hughes in the summer and potentially Johnny Kovacevic, too. From that perspective, getting Evans as a rental without any long-term commitments isn't the worst idea.
Evans is currently on pace to demolish his career-highs in every major statistic. The Toronto native is already up to 10 goals, 13 assists, and 23 points in 40 games, thanks in large part to an astronomical 28.6% shooting percentage.
The New Jersey Devils have Jake Evans as one of their many trade targets
To match his career-highs in the above categories, Evans needs only three more goals, eight more assists, and five more points. Additionally, the 28-year-old has already racked up a personal-best three shorthanded goals and four game-winning goals.
To put that another way, Evans has one fewer shorthanded goal than all of the Devils players have this season combined. He'd be tied with Paul Cotter and Dawson Mercer for sixth in goals, and he'd be tied with Stefan Noesen for second in game-winning goals.
Here's another issue: Erik Haula, the Devils' current third-line center, is out with an ankle sprain. He's also 16th on the Devils in overall scoring--behind Kovacevic--and has gone 18 consecutive games without a point.
Shooting bump notwithstanding, the Devils need Jake Evans or a Jake Evans-equivalent to upgrade on the aging, regressing Haula. Lazar, too, has battled with injuries this season, and the Devils cannot afford to hinge their playoff hopes on older players who are trending downwards after already not being the most efficient of scorers. That effect is amplified when it happens for dozens of games at a time.
The Devils have three second-round picks in the 2025 draft at the moment, though it remains to be seen what the Canadiens' asking price is for Evans.