March 4, 2025
Jake Evans will be a Hab for the foreseeable future
Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes has one less case to mull over ahead of the NHL trade deadline having inked center Jake Evans to a fresh four year contract.
While the rumor mill had been in high gear, suggesting that Evans was looking for a four-year deal at a hit of roughly $5M per year, Evans and the Habs have come to an agreement that will pay the third-line center $2.85M per year – a deal that could end up being a steal.
See Also: Tough decisions ahead for Kent Hughes
Evans, 28, was drafted 207th overall by the Habs in the seventh round of the 2014 NHL entry draft and has played 329 games as a member of the Montreal Canadiens. In that time, he has put 39 goals for 120 points. But more importantly, Evans is a key of the Canadiens penalty kill and plays a vital shutdown roll on the team.
Now with Jake Evans under contract and off the market, Hughes will have to focus on his four remaining upcoming unrestricted free agents and decide what to do with them. Whether to move on from them and find trades for them – or perhaps even reinforce his troops for a potential playoff push.
Evans is part of a penalty killing duo with another upcoming free agent Joel Armia, who now becomes the biggest question mark for Hughes, who will have to figure out what to do with David Savard, Christian Dvorak and Micheal Pezzetta ahead of Fridays trade deadline.
The Canadiens held on to defeat the Buffalo Sabres on Monday night, extending their winning streak and bringing the team to within a point of the final wild card spot in the Eastern conference.
Trouble is, there are a group of other teams in the race for that final playoff spot.
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Kent Hughes has three days to make some tough decisions for his squad who have been in the mix for a playoff spot for most of the season, and have several key prospects on the cusp of promotion to the big club next season – including Russian sensation Ivan Demidov who has been doing very well in the KHL this season.
The Canadiens next head out to Canada’s west coast where they next take on the Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks and the Calgary Flames.
