Prominent NHL Insider Links Maple Leafs to Heated Rival's Speedy Center in Trade Chatter
A popular NHL Insider has linked the Toronto Maple Leafs to a speedy center for the Montreal Canadiens, Jake Evans.
The injury-depleted Maple Leafs saw their record fall to 13-7-2 after a disappointing blowout defeat at the hands of the former Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers, on Wednesday night.
With several AHL regulars in the lineup due to a growing list of injuries to key forwards, the Maple Leafs were already struggling, and to make matters worse, they lost another forward to injury in last night's game as Bobby McMann left with an unspecified lower-body ailment.
Given the current state of their roster, the Maple Leafs may need to make a move sooner rather than later. While Toronto has shown remarkable depth, staying at the top of the Atlantic Division despite these injuries, it's becoming increasingly clear that this can't last much longer.
Hockey Insider David Pagnotta recently discussed a potential trade target for the Leafs on a podcast appearance for The Fourth Period, suggesting that the Leafs could be one of the teams interested in acquiring Jake Evans from the Montreal Canadiens.
He's got playoff experience at a young age. He's got that great cap hit ($1.7M). There wouldn't even need to be retention on Montreal's part. For teams looking to stabilize their bottom 6, Evans is going to be a target for a cup contender. Teams like Toronto, teams like Los Angeles, other teams who want to bolster their bottom 6 -- Evans is going to be right there."
Evans could be an ideal fit for Toronto's current needs. He's young, has playoff experience, and most importantly, his affordable cap hit is exactly what the Leafs need as they are nearing the salary cap ceiling.
Evans would provide an immediate boost to Toronto's depleted bottom six, which has already shown improvement this season (when healthy) with the addition of Steven Lorentz.
Whether or not the Maple Leafs actively pursue a deal for Evans or turn their attention elsewhere, it's clear that they urgently need additional support up front. With several key players still recovering from injury, securing reinforcements could be crucial to staying competitive in the coming weeks.
