Player Discussion Jake Evans (Part II)

[Habs Halifax]

Good so you won't be over paying him them He's a ROLE player role players don't make 4M dollars a year.
People are acting like he's the second coming of Michael Peca.

The truth is usually in the middle somewhere and I think that applies in this conversation

 

[DAChampion]

Hell we see that type of thinking at the top of lineup as well, who needs Matheson when we have Hutson, who needs Caufield when Laine has an even better shot, quick trade Montembeault because Dobes and Fowler are the future, etc...

Some people seem to be just wired into thinking you should only have 1 of any type of player.

I remember an interesting question from maybe a decade ago,

How well would a team with 12 Gallaghers at forward do?

 

[DAChampion]

I don't believe Engels has any insight so his 3.5 for 4 years is no different from any poster here, but if that truly is in the ballpark I would be very curious how much going to six years would drop the cap hit.

In the medium term Evans will be no better than the Habs' 4th center at next behind Suzuki, Dach, Hage; not to mention Beck, Kappanen, Xhekaj, Newhook, Koivu, could also become bottom six centers; and that the Habs have been effective at acquiring 4th line centers for decades now: Smolinski, Metropolit, Mitchell, Thompson, etc.

I'd offer Evans two years at 4.5 million per year, or so, as a stopgap, and structure the salary so that a buyout in the second year costs less.

 

[morhilane]

I remember an interesting question from maybe a decade ago,

How well would a team with 12 Gallaghers at forward do?

They would be 12 by now.

 

[Sorinth]

In the medium term Evans will be no better than the Habs' 4th center at next behind Suzuki, Dach, Hage; not to mention Beck, Kappanen, Xhekaj, Newhook, Koivu, could also become bottom six centers; and that the Habs have been effective at acquiring 4th line centers for decades now: Smolinski, Metropolit, Mitchell, Thompson, etc.

I'd offer Evans two years at 4.5 million per year, or so, as a stopgap, and structure the salary so that a buyout in the second year costs less.

Even if that's true, so what?

If someone comes along in the medium term and is better then Evans then we make a trade. If you've lowered the caphit by adding term, or the new deferred salary loophole then the worst case situation just isn't all that bad. Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

And I would add the only way Evans gets close to 4.5m is if he has a Lehkonen type of playoff run.

 

[DAChampion]

/Even if that's true, so what?

If someone comes along in the medium term and is better then Evans then we make a trade. If you've lowered the caphit by adding term, or the new deferred salary loophole then the worst case situation just isn't all that bad. Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

And I would add the only way Evans gets close to 4.5m is if he has a Lehkonen type of playoff run.

If Evans is signed to e.g. 4 years at 4.25 million per, then there is a significant chance that he will be untradable Gallagher-style in years 3 and 4. He's playing this season like an above-average third line center, but he's really an above average 4th-line center.

Signing him to two years (for which he would then be overpaid) limits the risk. At the end of the two years if Evans is really this Eller/Staal level third line center he'll get a great contract. If not then the Habs move on to one of Hage/Newhook/Beck/Kappanen/Xhekaj/etc.

 

[Sorinth]

If Evans is signed to e.g. 4 years at 4.25 million per, then there is a significant chance that he will be untradable Gallagher-style in years 3 and 4. He's playing this season like an above-average third line center, but he's really an above average 4th-line center.

Signing him to two years (for which he would then be overpaid) limits the risk. At the end of the two years if Evans is really this Eller/Staal level third line center he'll get a great contract. If not then the Habs move on to one of Hage/Newhook/Beck/Kappanen/Xhekaj/etc.

In the original post you quoted it was 3.5m for 4 years, and my question was whether it could go even lower if we went 5 or 6 years. So we are actually probably talking about ~3m cap hit not a 4.25m one. So it seems like you are intentionally inflating the hypothetical contract as a way to justify your preference of a 2 year deal.

Also worth mentioning that Gallagher will be tradeable in the last year of his deal, so even in your hypothetical 4 years at the extremely unlikely 4.25m, he's only a potential problem for 1 year. On top of which Gallagher's problem was the steep decline in his play, so unless you are predicting that Evans is good for 2 years then has a sudden decline in year 3 it doesn't seem particularly relevant.