The Ideal Third-Line Center for the Maple Leafs Could Be in Montreal, Per Pagnotta

Setting aside talent, number 71 is playing very good hockey, and his coach always knows what to expect when he sends him onto the ice.

It's no surprise, then, that several teams will be interested in him in the coming weeks, especially knowing that he's currently playing the final year of his contract, worth only $1.7M.

According to David Pagnotta and Hockey Patrol, the Maple Leafs would be a perfect landing spot for Evans.

It's important to note that these are not rumors but rather journalists and analysts' takes.

In recent days, several people have evaluated the trades made by the GM since he took office, and some of the conclusions are striking.

According to them, his batting average isn't as good as it seems. The trades involving Lehkonen (for Barron), Toffoli (for Emil Heineman, Tyler Pitlick, and Mesar), and Romanov (for Kirby Dach) are strongly questioned..

In my opinion, Kent Hughes will need to be very cautious with this file. It would be unfortunate to make another trade like the one involving Artturi Lehkonen. We have a good player in our ranks, and it would be disappointing to lose Evans only to search for a similar player in a few years.

That said, while the Canadiens' GM must be cautious, he also cannot refuse an offer that meets his expectations. This caution will also need to apply to all players who could leave the team, such as Matheson, Savard, or even Armia and Dvorak.

Knowing that this team desperately lacks leadership and veterans, trading them could be very dangerous.