The Tampa Bay Lightning's top goal of the off-season should be to add to their forward group. They need more offensive production in their bottom six, so it could be a busy trade deadline for the Bolts.
When looking at the top trade candidates around the NHL, one name who undoubtedly stands out is Montreal Canadiens forward Jake Evans.
While the Canadiens have improved this season overall, their playoff hopes have dropped significantly after losing eight out of their last 10 games. In addition, NHL insider Pierre LeBrun reported on Feb. 9 that the Canadiens and Evans are not close on an extension, increasing the odds that the forward will be traded.
With the Lightning needing more secondary scoring, a player like Evans should grab their attention. He would be a perfect option for their third-line center role and could work on both of their special-team units because of his strong two-way play.
Evans, 28, is thriving this season, posting 11 goals and 27 points in 56 games thus far. With this, he is well on his way to breaking his current career highs of 13 goals, 16 assists, and 29 points, which he set in 2021-22.
The Lightning's best teams had strong depth, and acquiring Evans would certainly improve their current group. It will be intriguing to see if they make a push for him from here, but the paper looks very good on paper.
