The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun said on TSN on Thursday the Canadiens are far apart on an extension with center Jake Evans, who along with winger Joel Armia, is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. According to LeBrun, the Habs could look to move both before the March 7 deadline, but not at any kind of discount.

Among the teams believed to have inquired about Evans and/or Armia are the Winnipeg Jets, Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, New Jersey Devils, and Minnesota Wild.

The idea of the Montreal Canadiens trading Jake Evans and Joel Armia at the deadline has been circulating all season. It goes back further than that for Armia,

It’s in just over a week (next Friday, to be exact) that we’ll see the NHL trade deadline. This means that in the coming days, we’ll have more and more activity in the Bettman circuit… and that some players may change addresses.

The NHL Trade Deadline is less than a week away, resulting in an uptick in interest for at least one Montreal Canadiens player. As we previously discussed, general manager Kent Hughes may have an opportunity to package Jake Evans and Joel Armia,

As the NHL trade deadline approaches on March 7, several teams are expressing interest in Montreal Canadiens forwards Jake Evans and Joel Armia. According to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, clubs have reached out regarding the availability of both players.

The Habs expect that at his price point and production level, Evans will be attractive to contenders who don’t have a lot of cap space.