Confirmed Signing with Link: [MTL] F Jake Evans signs extension with the Canadiens (4 years, $2.85M AAV)

[Habssince89]

fantastic news with the cap rising.

Evans will never complain about where he plays. Habs are in good shape to pay the price for another 1C or to overpay a 2C a little.

 

[JianYang]

He seems like a decent 3c at a great number if he doesn’t regress. There’s a tiny bit of risk with the term though if he does regress, but overall this seems like a good move.

Risk is not much of a factor from montreal's standpoint. With the extraordinary cap increases coming into play, you are not getting much of anything for sub 3 million going forward.

 

[Donnie740]

Evans will be 29yrs old in a few months and he’s going to break 30 points for the first time in his career.

If you think he’s worth more than $2.85M x4 then you’re badly overrating him.

 

[Jeune Poulet]

If Evans had 15 points this season, this deal is still a steal for what he brings. The offense is just a nice bonus.

You shouldn't sign players based on what they've done but based on what you expect them to do. And despite luring some people into thinking he was breaking out this season, he quickly came back to his usual self.

There's zero chance he only left $250K on the table. AT LEAST $500K, if not substantially more depending on term.

Yeah, depending on term.

It's a sensible 4 year deal, where the Habs and Evans buy stability and he buys some much deserved security. That's a long time. Sorry but Evans is not worth 2M more over 4 years.

With his health history and age, this guy may be one hit away from retirement. He isn't worth more than that.

Doesn't matter how much some suckers are/were willing to pay him. What matters is that this is the right deal for him and I don't want us to be hampered with new Armia/Anderson/Allen/Gallagher type of deals that make fans happy on the short term but eventually drag us down.

 

[CDN24]

I If Eavans was to come in as the 4C that would be different.

But my team needs a 3C and I do think Yanni Gourde is a better fit, plus he's got championship pedigree.

I want as many players with championship pedigree as possible.

Evans came of age in 2020-21 playoffs. replaced Tatar on that Gallagher/Danault line after game 5 of Leafs series. what did Marner and Mathews do against him in game 6 and 7 again, I forget

 

[Budz]

There is no way to be unhappy about it as a fan.

I am surprised that he left some decent money on the table but that also speaks to the program that gorton and Hughes are building.

Admirable…

 

[BLONG7]

Evans will be 29yrs old in a few months and he’s going to break 30 points for the first time in his career.

If you think he’s worth more than $2.85M x4 then you’re badly overrating him.

Going to UFA market this summer would have been a big pay day for Evans. This deal is good for the player, and very friendly for the habs.

GM's always overpay they just do............the kid is having a very good season all things considered.
Take a look at last year, some clown gave him 8.5M to PLD and he rewarded his team with 40 pts. PLD was a 55pt forward and got 8.5M..................he then mailed it in, and got 40 pts.............subsequently getting himself traded. LOL

UFA'a in July make GM's drunk with $$$

 

[Puckstuff]

Risk is not much of a factor from montreal's standpoint. With the extraordinary cap increases coming into play, you are not getting much of anything for sub 3 million going forward.

The deal is good value for Montreal but every deal has some risk, even if it’s small.

Players like this are a risk if they regress to 4th line quality and then you’re paying a guy 2.85 for someone you could pay 800 k.

Evans should be good enough for 3c for a while though. It’s a good move.

 

[FerrisRox]

Yup, 7.6 million/year is fantastic value for a 50 point winger......

That contract doesn't even begin until next season, and yet you are already criticizing the contract and predicting the point total Slafkovsky will have?

 

[FerrisRox]

This is really not the steal that people are making it out to be.

Evans has been living off the hype train from his unusually good start of season (24 points in 37 games in 2024) but since the new year, he's got 5 points in 24 games.

That's still a good deal for both parties. He really is a good penalty killer and very dependable and he obviously wanted to stay in an environment that has worked out for him. I think that considering the many injuries he's suffered, he wisely chose long term security over potentially extracting an extra 250k on the free market.

I'm not sure I'm following your argument. I don't think people that watch the Canadiens regularly want Evans for his offensive production at all. Nobody cares about that, other than that I was concerned it would inflate his ask.

Evans role, with the Canadiens, going forward is a defensive centre who can win draws, kill penalties and adds speed to the bottom six.

Ultimately, I see him as their fourth line centre and a primary penalty killer who can move up to the third line if need be and chip in extra offence. But if he only has 15 points next year, but continues to win draws, kill penalties and play a 200 foot game, I'm very, very happy with this contract.

 

[Miller Time]

Evans will be 29yrs old in a few months and he’s going to break 30 points for the first time in his career.

If you think he’s worth more than $2.85M x4 then you’re badly overrating him.

This thinking holds true in video games, but in the real world.

Evans is considerably more valuable to a team then many <4M$ players right now, let alone after this summer when a bunch more bad contracts, like Domi's at 3.75M/per, get handed out.

If you don't recognize the value of a player like Evans at under 3M$, because all you can use to assess a player is the pts column, then you don't really get hockey.

 

[Bruce Granville]

Together with Armia a great PK…

 

[crowi]

Glad to see nearly 30-year old Evans get security, but this is not some OMG GM HUGHES STEAL.

 

[FerrisRox]

Glad to see nearly 30-year old Evans get security, but this is not some OMG GM HUGHES STEAL.

As someone who has watched his entire career and had resigned myself to losing him, I'm thrilled to see him back at that number and that term.

I wasn't convinced he was going to get more than four years, but I was absolutely certain he was going to be paid, at minimum $3.5 a season and I suspected if he signed for under five years the number would be closer to $4 million.

To me, this is an absolute steal. I had to double check the number when I first saw it. This is an outstanding contract for a very important part of the Canadiens bottom six and penalty killing.

 

[Boss Man Hughes]

Glad to see nearly 30-year old Evans get security, but this is not some OMG GM HUGHES STEAL.

It is a credit to the organization HuGo has built that players want to stay over going for the big payday.

 

[Donnie740]

Glad to see nearly 30-year old Evans get security, but this is not some OMG GM HUGHES STEAL.

I’m glad someone else besides me recognizes this.

It’s fair market value for both the player and team. Some other kook GM might have given Evans $3.5M or $4M in free agency, but that would have been an overpay mistake.

 

[crowi]

As someone who has watched his entire career and had resigned myself to losing him, I'm thrilled to see him back at that number and that term.

I wasn't convinced he was going to get more than four years, but I was absolutely certain he was going to be paid, at minimum $3.5 a season and I suspected if he signed for under five years the number would be closer to $4 million.

To me, this is an absolute steal. I had to double check the number when I first saw it. This is an outstanding contract for a very important part of the Canadiens bottom six and penalty killing.

Thanks for the insight. I guess I don't appreciate him enough myself as I don't watch every MTL game. I also thought he was one that could be dangled at the deadline for picks. From what I've seen, I also don't think getting a 2nd or something for him when your team needs examples, veterans, was worth it. It's a nice deal overall for MTL, I just don't think it's a steal.

 

[FerrisRox]

Thanks for the insight. I guess I don't appreciate him enough myself as I don't watch every MTL game. I also thought he was one that could be dangled at the deadline for picks. From what I've seen, I also don't think getting a 2nd or something for him when your team needs examples, veterans, was worth it. It's a nice deal overall for MTL, I just don't think it's a steal.

The other issue is this: The Canadiens had both Evans and Dvorak as pending UFA's.

Losing your third and fourth line centre in the same off-season is less than ideal and within the organization they don't have guys knocking on the door to take those spots.

Making this matter even more of a pressing issue, Kirby Dach is sidelined for the rest of the season.

The Canadiens making the playoffs is ideally their goal, but failing that - and they likely will fail to do that - they want to continue to play meaningful games through the month of March so the young core can continue to grow together.

If Evans was dealt, Dach was hurt, and Dvorak possibly traded as well, the Canadiens would be extremely thin down the middle and it would have been very difficult for them to play any games that matter in March with that kind of gaping hole in their roster. It would have really been deflating for the team and the younger players.

 

[ole ole]

Overrated bum.

Lot of over-rated bums in this league. Look no farther than in LA, Evens is hardly over-rated. 2.8 is a steal for almost any player

 

[Lockin17]

He should have tested the market as a UFA , he could of got around 3.5 for 4 years.
But i am glad he's staying with that Habs espacially at that price.
Guess the team was more important then money for him, wich says a lot.

 

[ole ole]

Bruh, what are you talking about. He’s one of the best PKer in the league and plays some of the toughest minutes.

Don't bother he doesn't know what he's talking about. Had to keep him at that price.

 

[vokiel]

Evans will be 29yrs old in a few months and he’s going to break 30 points for the first time in his career.

If you think he’s worth more than $2.85M x4 then you’re badly overrating him.

He looked like he was going to crack 50 earlier this season, then tuned his game down for some reason.

 

[ole ole]

The cap hit is really $3,562,500 per year when you add the 25% tariff.

The Tariff goes to the other side.

He seems like a decent 3c at a great number if he doesn’t regress. There’s a tiny bit of risk with the term though if he does regress, but overall this seems like a good move.

Even if he does regress it's 2.8

 

[vokiel]

The Tariff goes to the other side.

And on goods, not on services. That said you know we have equally drunken politicians...

 

[japhi27returns]

Evans will be 29yrs old in a few months and he’s going to break 30 points for the first time in his career.

If you think he’s worth more than $2.85M x4 then you’re badly overrating him.

And if you think there aren’t two sides to the rink then following hockey must be challenging. Hopefully you are here to learn.