Mr Viral
Last season, the special teams were truly a problem for the Montreal Canadiens.
Both the power play and the penalty kill struggled, practically in every game.
Fortunately, this season, the special teams are no longer an issue, and on the contrary, they represent an asset for the Habs.
Indeed, the Tricolore is doing very well in both departments, and more often than not, they manage to win games thanks to their special teams.
For the power play, the recent star is obviously Patrik Laine, and if we look at the penalty kill, well, there is also a star, and this player has been one since the start of the season.
I’m talking about Jake Evans.
The 28-year-old forward from the Habs excels in shorthanded situations this season, and he is truly the main reason why the Habs find themselves in the NHL’s top 10 with an 82.4% effectiveness in penalty killing this season.
Evans defends extremely well, and he often manages to break up plays and kill time while maintaining possession of the puck.
Thus, Evans is a very important cog in the team defensively, and even offensively, well, this season, he is on track to achieve his best point total in his career.
His 19 points, including seven goals, in 33 games would project him to 47 points over 82 games, which would be much better than his 29 points from 2020-2021.
In short, there are plenty of reasons for the Canadiens to consider re-signing Evans, whose contract expires at the end of the season, but as of yet, no negotiations have begun, according to Jake Evans.
“Still crickets,” said Jake Evans when we asked him about contract negotiations.
Have to think that might change soon.
Even with promising, young centres coming, his role is one typically filled by a veteran, and his value to the Canadiens is patently obvious. https://t.co/KfIXzuWx6y
— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) December 22, 2024
Indeed, Jake Evans stated yesterday after the game that there had still been no discussions regarding his next contract.
Evans, who is in the last year of his three-year contract worth $1.7 million annually, will clearly be asking for a significant raise, as he is currently having his best season at age 28, just before the potential best seasons of his career.
Obviously, the logic would be for the Habs to keep Evans and grant him a new contract, but it’s not always that simple in the NHL.
There is a business side as well, and it’s clear that the Habs’ management knows very well that Evans’ value will be very high on the trade market by the trade deadline.
With his excellent current performances, his depth role, and his low salary with only one year remaining, Evans could fetch a substantial return for the Habs in a trade.
Thus, there is clearly a big decision to make.
And the fact that the Habs have not yet communicated with Evans about a potential contract extension shows that they are not quite sure yet about the direction they want to take with the 28-year-old center.
Personally, I believe that keeping Evans would be ideal, as it would solidify the “bottom-6” center positions.
Evans was drafted and developed by the Habs, and he is finally reaching his prime, so why would we want to start all over with a new young player like Owen Beck or Oliver Kapanen?
Veterans are needed, and Evans would be perfect for the future of the Habs.
In short, the Canadiens will need to make their decision soon because the longer time goes on, the more Evans builds his case with his excellent performances to demand more money.
Evans’ agent must be licking his chops right now,
A 4-5 year contract worth at least $3.5 million would definitely be a good starting point.
Evans will have the chance to get the biggest contract of his career as he enters his prime years, and thus, he may not want to sign for less to stay in Montreal.
If Evans continues on his pace and hits 40 points this season, he’s going to be in his right to ask for 4M + on 3+ yr deal.
Now, IF Evans is willing to sign a hometown discount, I can see where Sean is coming from. Doubt he does this again for Montreal; it’s his time to get $$.
— Marco D’Amico (@mndamico) December 22, 2024
In Brief
– Interesting.
According to Jean Perron, everyone is talking about the Canadiens in Russia! pic.twitter.com/GFRhAQ0N1M
— La Poche Bleue (@lapochebleue) December 22, 2024
– What do you think?
Question of the day from the Tailgate Weekend @datgregtho
The Canadiens have a record of 10-7-1 in their last 18 games.
With the recent successes of the team, do you believe in the mix this year?
— BPM Sports (@BPMSportsRadio) December 22, 2024
– Another victory for La Victoire.
La Victoire defeated Toronto 4-3 on Saturday, marking their third win in four games. Yet, the team sits in 3rd place in the overall standings, just 3 points behind Minnesota.
Is La Victoire’s record misleading?@TVASports #LPHF https://t.co/U377DNy00E
— Pat Laprade (@PatLaprade) December 22, 2024
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