3 Players That Could Be This Year's "Curtis Lazar" Trade

Jake Evans - Montreal Canadiens

With Michael McLeod likely to never play another game for the Devils, they have become incredibly thin at center. Lazar has done well playing high up in the lineup, but his lack of scoring is an issue. Tomas Nosek looked like a viable 4C at the beginning of the season but has been injured most of the season and, even when healthy, doesn't provide much spark. The Devils need someone who can bring both a bit of offense and be reliable on faceoffs.

Evans won't light the world on fire, but he is another capable body that fits in on the bottom six. Over the past two seasons, he's missed time, but when he last played the majority of the season, he scored 29 points in 72 games. Evans also gives the Devils another good option on the face-off dot, winning 52%. On a better team, the Devils would be banking on getting the 13-goal, 29-point Jake Evans that we've seen in the past.

His contract situation is similar to Hamonic's. He has one year remaining at $1.7 million. With such a low AAV, he gives the Devils a much-needed upgrade over Nosek without handcuffing the team to go out and find another quality center in free agency.