Editor's Note: This story updated Feb. 18, 2025.
The NHL’s trade deadline is a few weeks away. Some teams have already pulled the trigger on some moves, there are others who remain in limbo about the direction of their team, drawing the attention of Canada sports betting customers.
One such team is the Montreal Canadiens. Should the Canadiens decide to become sellers by the trade deadline, one player who will draw a lot of interest is Jake Evans. The 28-year-old forward is enjoying his best season offensively with 26 points (11 goals, 13 assists) in 52 games. The sixth-year pro is just three points shy of tying his career high in points. However, he will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
If Montreal decides to deal him, BetCanada.com – where you will find the best Canada sports betting promo codes – developed exclusive odds projecting where Evans will land. Many fans and analysts expect that the team will extend Jake Evans in the future and not trade him away.
Team | Odds | Percentage Chance |
Toronto Maple Leafs | +300 | 25.0% |
New Jersey Devils | +400 | 20.0% |
Minnesota Wild | +550 | 15.4% |
Los Angeles Kings | +1500 | 6.3% |
The Field/ Stay With Montreal Canadiens | +200 | 33.3% |
In late December and into January, the Habs went on a 13-3-1 run that lifted them above .500 and put them in the Eastern Conference’s second wild card spot. At that point, anyone who took Montreal’s +750 odds of making the playoffs at Bet99 Sportsbook, according to Daily Faceoff, had to like their chances for a nice payday.
But coach Martin St. Louis’ team lost five straight and earned only a point (0-4-1) after that, falling to six points back for a berth in the Stanley Cup playoffs. On Feb. 4, Montreal broke that skid with a 4-3 victory at the San Jose Sharks. At the 4-Nations Face-Off break, Montreal is six points behind the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.
In our exclusive, newly updated Jake Evans trade odds, we rate the Toronto Maple Leafs (+300) as slight favorites to land Evans if he is traded, ahead of the New Jersey Devils (+400). With the Canadiens still close to playoff contention, we rate an Evans trade as a decent proposition, with +200 odds that he’ll stay in Montreal for the rest of the season or be dealt to a team outside of our list.
Despite his pace to shatter his offensive season bests, Evans’ real value is at the other end of the ice. He’s a bottom-six player who best role is wreaking havoc on an opponent’s top scorers. In other words, a younger, taller version of J.G. Pageau.
Evans’ name in trade rumors won’t pop out like Canucks forward Brock Boeser or Brock Nelson from the New York Islanders. But with his style of play, Evans could be the missing piece that transforms a Stanley Cup contender into a Stanley Cup champion.
Which teams could benefit the most from a player like Evans, especially to shore up their penalty kill?
Just from our revised list of likely trade partners, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Minnesota Wild, both among the NHL betting odds favorites to win the Stanley Cup, need to shore up their penalty-kill units. Toronto is killing 82.3% of penalties, No. 14 in the league; Minnesota is 30th at 73.8%. Both teams are in playoff spots; Toronto is in second, three points behind the Florida Panthers, in the Atlantic; Minnesota stands third (11 points behind the Winnipeg Jets and two behind the Dallas Stars) in the Central.
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USA Today photo by David Kirouac
Author
Steve is an accomplished, award-winning reporter with more than 20 years of experience covering gaming, sports, politics and business. He has written for the Associated Press, Reuters, The Louisville Courier Journal, The Center Square and numerous other publications. Based in Louisville, Ky., Steve has covered the expansion of sports betting in the U.S. and other gaming matters. He shares his expertise on BetCanada, among other sites.
