The Los Angeles Kings have close to two weeks off with the 4 Nations Face-Off set to take place. This is time for players and coaches to recharge but it also should give the front office a chance to really evaluate the roster and call around the league to find ways to improve.
One of the players that could certainly help this team is Montreal Canadiens Jake Evans, who seemingly hinted at the possibility that his time in Montreal could be coming to a close. After the game on Sunday, Evans had this to say about what it meant to play for the Canadiens:
Jake Evans, on what it means to be a Montreal Canadien: “It’s been an honour. It’s such a fun place to play, it’s such a great place to live, and I’ve just really enjoyed it. It’s truly an honour. There’s so much tradition here, so many great players that have worn this great…
— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) February 9, 2025
The way he mentions it being an honor in the past tense could be an indication that he knows he will be traded sooner rather than later. The reason for that could have been made clear during the game when Pierre LeBrun reported that the Canadiens and Evans were not close at all to a contract extension:
As discussed at intermission during on our Habs TSN broadcast, my understanding is Jake Evans and the Canadiens have exchanged numbers on what an extension might look like and they’re not close. Obviously things can change with one phone call, but as of now that makes it more…
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) February 9, 2025
Why should the Los Angeles Kings be interested in Jake Evans?
The fact that Jake Evans and the Canadiens are nowhere close on an extension makes the chances of him being traded increase greatly. Montreal also has been struggling and they may be in a position where they want to be sellers at the NHL Trade Deadline.
For the Los Angeles Kings, they need a center for their fourth line and should be a priority to address before the Trade Deadline. Evans is a player that makes a lot of sense in that regards and would be a significant upgrade.
This season, Evans has 11 goals (including 3 shorthanded goals) and 16 assists with an impressive shot percentage just under 20%. He also has been really good at faceoffs with a faceoff percentage above 50% in three straight seasons.
In addition to what he brings on the ice, Evans has a very reasonable cap hit of only $1.7 million this season. The Kings are up against the salary cap but the Kings could take on a cap hit like the one Evans has.
The Kings are going to be working the phones and discussing trades over the next few weeks but Jake Evans should be at the top of their list.