NHL Rumors: Canadiens & Avalanche Becoming Potential Trade Partners

The Montreal Canadiens are a team to watch very closely over the next few days. While they are red-hot right now, they still do not hold a playoff spot, and there is a real chance that they will sell off some of their pending unrestricted free agents. Forward Jake Evans is one of their top trade candidates because of it.

The Avalanche, on the other hand, are set to be buyers at the deadline. One area that they are certainly looking to improve is their bottom six, so they are standing out as a prime potential landing spot for Evans.

If the Avalanche acquired Evans, he would provide them with another solid option for their third-line center spot. However, he has shown in his career that he can be very impactful in a fourth-line role, so he could boost the Avalanche's roster there, too. Furthermore, he would also give the Avalanche another solid player for their penalty kill, which never is a bad thing.

The Avalanche could also use some more secondary offensive production, and Evans has provided just that this season. In 61 games this season, the 6-foot center has 12 goals and 28 points. He also would give the Avalanche more grit, as evidenced by his career-high 93 hits this season.

Overall, with the Avalanche's bottom six needing a serious boost, don't be surprised if they make a serious charge for Evans over the next few days.