Rumor: Evans asking for $4M x 5 years

[le_sean]

and ffs Marcus Kruger got 3.1M for 3 years in 2015/2016, Evans is a better player

That’s like justifying re-signing Armia for $6m per year because Gallagher got $6.5m years ago.

 

[SannywithoutCompy]

I'm not saying he's Danault (1 of the best top 6 shutdown C's) but it's not like he's gonna get exposed playing Matthews.. you don't need to worry about him when he's on the ice and that's what you want in a bottom 6'er, at the end of the day no one can really shut down the elite players completely

and ffs Marcus Kruger got 3.1M for 3 years in 2015/2016, Evans is a better player

And how did the Hawks fare after giving him that contract?

 

[26Mats]

Were you willing to sign him to the same thing last year when he had a normal shooting percentage and the Habs PK was 24th? Or how about the year before when the PK was 29th?

People are overstating his importance. He’s having an outlier season in a contract year. He’s not a 3rd line centre, he doesn’t have the skill for that.

Signing 4th liners for 4-5 years is Lou Lamiorello-lite type of management. It’s even more silly considering we have his replacements (Beck and Kapanen) knocking at the door.

I'm not advocating signing him to that contract.

But I consider Heineman - Evans - Armia our 3rd line.

 

[red devil]

From LeBrun's article in The Athletic today

It’s status quo as of Tuesday morning on the Jake Evans contract front, which is to say, as I reported on Feb. 9, both sides remain far apart on an extension. This close to the deadline, that makes it more and more likely the pending UFA center gets dealt unless either the Canadiens or Evans’ camp have a change of heart in their positions.

NHL rumblings: Utah’s trade deadline plans, plus the latest on Ivan Provorov, Seth Jones and more

Also, what the Kings are looking for at the deadline and what we're hearing on Yanni Gourde and Jake Evans.

www.nytimes.com

 

[Justin11]

Evans will get his money and term, I'm just not sure it will be with the Habs.
If Evans moves on, the impact will be felt immediately, however it won't be that difficult to find a replacement.

 

[Vachon23]

I'm not saying he's Danault (1 of the best top 6 shutdown C's) but it's not like he's gonna get exposed playing Matthews.. you don't need to worry about him when he's on the ice and that's what you want in a bottom 6'er, at the end of the day no one can really shut down the elite players completely

and ffs Marcus Kruger got 3.1M for 3 years in 2015/2016, Evans is a better player

Danault would probably have got over 7m + if he was signing this year and he was 28

 

[ReHabs]

If Hughes gives him this he should be fired. Thankfully we know he won’t, since the deal hasn’t been signed.

Evans is on pace for a 38pt season, is neither large or quick, and will never outproduce or outperform his cap hit. Let him earn that money with a veteran, competitive team that wants a missing piece. It’s not here.

 

[Wats]

Honestly hope he gets it and might have a chance. He's a decent 3rd/4th C but not sure he fits timeline. Rather replace him with a short term deal vet until Beck is ready.

 

[SannywithoutCompy]

Wrong. He’s be top 9 in Carolina, top 9 in COL, to name a few. His production would likely be higher on a better team.

He has been a consistent 30 point pace 200 foot PK gem for the past 3 years. Which is top 9 in this league.

For some reason fans don’t understand how hard these guys are to find and seem to assume every contending team has this function solved. They don’t, these guys are fairly difficult to acquire because teams don’t trade them. Moving on from him to save 500k or a mil would be a mistake

Colorado is famously top-heavy lol, it's why they haven't been able to compete since 2022. As for Carolina, I would comfortably take Aho, Staal, and Kotkaniemi over him right now. Don't be fooled by a hot streak in a contract year.

 

[Wats]

Danault would probably have got over 7m + if he was signing this year and he was 28

Letting Danault go was a fumble for sure.

 

[japhi27returns]

He is a 4th liner on a contender.

That is so stupid. He would play top 9 utilization on 25 teams in the league. So your contender qualifier is ridiculous.

Suzuki would play bottom 6 on 5 teams in the league, would you consider him bottom 6? He’s a third liner on a contender by your logic.

Jets go with Namestikov and Lowry as their 2/3? Contending teams? How could they be with their 2/3 being 35/45 points players?

Now, he may not be worth 5x4 but he is our second best C, and would play top 9 on many teams, a few of which will compete for the Cup this year.

 

[le_sean]

I'm not advocating signing him to that contract.

But I consider Heineman - Evans - Armia our 3rd line.

De facto 3rd line because Dvorak and Gallagher are shit. And that line looks a lot better thanks to Heineman.

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

Agree

But we can’t go with

Suzuki
Dach
Beck
Kapanen

That would be a disaster

That center group could be a decent amount better than the center group we had this season.

Suzuki = Suzuki
Dach could easily be much better next season than he was this year, especially when you consider that he will get to play with Demidov.
Dvorak has been a complete non-factor this season, so it wouldn't take much for Beck/Kapanen to have a similar impact as he had.
Evans to Beck/Kapanen is the only downgrade out of the 4 centers.

 

[le_sean]

That center group could be a decent amount better than the center group we had this season.

Suzuki = Suzuki
Dach could easily be much better next season than he was this year, especially when you consider that he will get to play with Demidov.
Dvorak has been a complete non-factor this season, so it wouldn't take much for Beck/Kapanen to have a similar impact as he had.
Evans to Beck/Kapanen is the only downgrade out of the 4 centers.

If Dach is still a Top 6 centre next year and the pivot for Demidov, this management team should all find different jobs. How are we going to put our best playmaker with a centre that can’t shoot, or do much of anything really.

 

[26Mats]

De facto 3rd line because Dvorak and Gallagher are shit. And that line looks a lot better thanks to Heineman.

Dollars aside for a moment, if you let Evans go, your 3c and 4c's next year, as it is now, are 2 of Newhook, Beck, and Kapanen. Or you go out and get a 3c. Or you go out and get a 2c and Dach moves to 3c. That last option would be great. But there is no guarantee Hughes can do that. So it will be interesting to see how he plays his cards leading up to the TDL...

 

[Sasha Orlov]

For that price I’m signing him 100%

 

[japhi27returns]

Colorado is famously top-heavy lol, it's why they haven't been able to compete since 2022. As for Carolina, I would comfortably take Aho, Staal, and Kotkaniemi over him right now. Don't be fooled by a hot streak in a contract year.

Yes CAR hasn’t been able to compete because they are not strong down the middle. Now pause there for a minute lol.

And You would take a 30 point KK that gets PP, plays with much better players, doesn’t kill penalties or take tough assignments over a 30 point Evans that does all of that?

This board always sleeps on defensive players and the value they have to the team.

 

[le_sean]

Dollars aside for a moment, if you let Evans go, your 3c and 4c's next year, as it is now, are 2 of Newhook, Beck, and Kapanen. Or you go out and get a 3c. Or you go out and get a 2c and Dach moves to 3c. That last option would be great. But there is no guarantee Hughes can do that. So it will be interesting to see how he plays his cards leading up to the TDL...

I think it’s a case of

2C (6.5m)
Beck (1m)

vs

Dach (3.4m)
Evans (4m)

To me the obvious move is to use their money to find an actual impact player to centre Demidov. I see Kapanen being a RW with Heineman as a LW with a kid 3rd line. Find some 4C veteran.

 

[EveryDay]

Colorado is famously top-heavy lol, it's why they haven't been able to compete since 2022. As for Carolina, I would comfortably take Aho, Staal, and Kotkaniemi over him right now. Don't be fooled by a hot streak in a contract year.

Kotkaniemi ahead of Evans? Nope, both a chance. He produce what 26 pts this season? He was playing with Necas and Robinson for 90% of the season.

At 4M I take Evans before KK.

 

[Nevins]

3.25 M$ / 5 years or Bye Bye

 

[habamillions]

Have to trade him for that. Too expensive for a 4th line center. Now he is a perfect 4th line center but when team is ready to contend you cant have him at that. Having 3 1sts would be more valuable at this point. Then try and resign evama maybe july 1 if nobody else overpays

 

[SamHabsFan]

Dollars aside for a moment, if you let Evans go, your 3c and 4c's next year, as it is now, are 2 of Newhook, Beck, and Kapanen. Or you go out and get a 3c. Or you go out and get a 2c and Dach moves to 3c. That last option would be great. But there is no guarantee Hughes can do that. So it will be interesting to see how he plays his cards leading up to the TDL...

No way I'm letting Evans go just to go ahead and sign another 3C next year for probably the same cap hit as Evans is gonna get...the only way I'd be comfortable trading Evans or letting him go is if there is an established plan on the table to get a legit 2C so that pushed Dach and Newhook on the 3rd line.

But I dont think there is a single 2C available that make sens...so I'm leaning on keeping Evans, there will be a spot for Beck anyway with the departure of DVO and if Kapanen is lights out during camp, we can still move Dach to wing.

 

[EveryDay]

I think it’s a case of

2C (6.5m)
Beck (1m)

vs

Dach (3.4m)
Evans (4m)

To me the obvious move is to use their money to find an actual impact player to centre Demidov. I see Kapanen being a RW with Heineman as a LW with a kid 3rd line. Find some 4C veteran.

No its more the case of

2C (6.5M )
Beck(1M)

Vs

2C (6.5M)
Evans (3.5-4M)

Dach doesn't belong at center.

 

[SakuKoivu11]

Evans at $4 million per year is a way better deal than Kotkaniemi at $4.8. Both are 4th liners I think. Anyways I’ll pass, 4th liners are replaceable.

 

[SannywithoutCompy]

Yes CAR hasn’t been able to compete because they are not strong down the middle. Now pause there for a minute lol.

And You would take a 30 point KK that gets PP, plays with much better players, doesn’t kill penalties or take tough assignments over a 30 point Evans that does all of that?

This board always sleeps on defensive players and the value they have to the team.

I would take a Kotkaniemi that isn't shooting double his career average, doesn't have a 12.3% OISH%, and has the same amount of points with less time on ice, yes.