A recent NHL trade involving a comparable depth forward has shed light on the potential return the Montreal Canadiens could secure for Jake Evans ahead of the trade deadline.

Canadiens: What to Expect From Jake Evans - Yahoo Sports

The deal, which saw the Vancouver Canucks send veteran center Jason Dickinson to the Chicago Blackhawks for a 2025 third-round pick, sets a benchmark for Evans’ value.

Like Dickinson, Evans is a reliable defensive center with a $1.7 million cap hit and term remaining, making him an attractive target for playoff-bound teams seeking bottom-six stability. While Evans, 27, has struggled offensively this season (4 goals, 14 points in 58 games), his faceoff prowess (53.3% success rate) and penalty-killing ability could net Montreal a similar mid-round pick or prospect.

However, the Canadiens might leverage a competitive market—teams like the Colorado Avalanche and Edmonton Oilers reportedly seek center depth—to drive up the price.

GM Kent Hughes faces a balancing act: cash in now on Evans’ value or retain him as a key veteran presence in a young locker room. With the deadline approaching, this comparable trade offers a glimpse of the likely return, though Hughes’ reputation for shrewd dealing could still swing a surprise.

A trade that was just announced by the Minnesota Wild provides us with valuable details on the value of Canadiens forward Jake Evans.

We know that Evans is probably the most likely Canadiens forward to be traded before the trade deadline, but experts are not unanimous about his value.

To determine a player’s true current value, it’s always best to rely on concrete evidence, and in the past few hours, the Minnesota Wild provided exactly that!

The trade announced by the Minnesota Wild gives us details on the value of Montreal Canadiens forward Jake Evans

One of the significant trades that has already been officially announced before the trade deadline is the deal announced yesterday between the Nashville Predators and the Minnesota Wild.

Gustav Nyquist was traded to the Wild in exchange for a second-round pick.

 

A valuable clue about Jake Evans’ actual current trade market value

A trade that sets the price for a player like Evans.

According to what several experts conclude, if a player like Gustav Nyquist fetches a second-round pick, it confirms that Jake Evans is officially worth at least a second-round pick.

Evans is cheaper than Nyquist (in terms of salary cap), he is a center (not a winger), he is a more complete player than Nyquist, and on top of that, he has better offensive stats than Nyquist this season.

Nyquist, 35 years old, is a winger who has recorded 21 points in 57 games this season and earns $3.185 million per year until the summer of 2025.

Evans, 28 years old, is a center who has recorded 28 points in 60 games this season and earns $1.7 million per year until the summer of 2025.

This bodes well for Jake Evans’ value on the trade market.