What's the max you'd give to Evans?

[Victoire HuGo]

Evans is having a great year. What would be max you'd give

Green flags
- First time team is healthy so he's not playing in the wrong chair. Thus linemates have remained steady.
- Guy is a late bloomer so this sudden surge could be sustainable
- Good leader and great role player

Red flags
- Shooting at 24%, less than 1 shot per game. High shooting 5 on 5 shooting %
- High IPP
- career year on contract year, can be recipe for disaster. Will look to cash in
- has has trouble with concussions

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[Victoire HuGo]

I votes 3.75M. For context, it'd represent 4% of next years cap which would be 0.1% higher than Armia when he signed his. However Evans is a much more valuable and consistent player

 

[vokiel]

Red flags
- Shooting at 24%, less than 1 shot per game. High shooting 5 on 5 shooting %
- High IPP
- career year on contract year, can be recipe for disaster. Will look to cash in
- has has trouble with concussions

That one is a pretty big red flag. What indications do we have that he didn't just reach his peak?

In any case, 15 million over 4 years is the max I'd invest. Basically making him replace Dach, which I would trade out next season.

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

He's 28, so he'll be looking to get paid, it might be his one chance at a bigger contract and him and his agent would 100% know it. I could go as far as 4x4, I feel this is pretty fair for a guy like that. Anything north of that would be too big of a leap.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

He's getting 4.4-5

 

[Victoire HuGo]

That one is a pretty big red flag. What indications do we have that he didn't just reach his peak?

In any case, 15 million over 4 years is the max I'd invest. Basically making him replace Dach, which I would trade out next season.

It is concerning but he had already shown signs of progress or adding elements to his game last year. I also am confident in the type of individual he is. The guy has always had the right mindset and expectations. He came to Laval and said he'd be a 4th liner. I don't think his surge is suddenly due to him playing harder or differently. Is there a risk of him suddenly regressing after earning that big deal but I'm not scared of that for him.


If team wants to keep progressing, special teams has to remain strong and who knows if all 4 mainstays on PK up front will be back (Armia, DVo, Evans and Anderson) and even Savard might not be back. I think incorporating two new rookies at C will be too much. Evans can also play wing.

 

[waitin425]

3.5 x 4 is my ceiling for him. Anymore and I wish him luck.

 

[Victoire HuGo]

He's 28, so he'll be looking to get paid, it might be his one chance at a bigger contract and him and his agent would 100% know it. I could go as far as 4x4, I feel this is pretty fair for a guy like that. Anything north of that would be too big of a leap.

If his demands are ridiculous I'd try to sign Nic Dowd at a cheaper deal but then it becomes of a matter of going with the devil you know

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

If his demands are ridiculous I'd try to sign Nic Dowd at a cheaper deal but then it becomes of a matter of going with the devil you know

I do like to reward loyalty and homegrown guys, plus Evans has been by all accounts a good teammate and a dedicated Hab. I would rather keep him, but he needs to be willing to do business.

 

[Garnet76]

I like Evans and he's having a great year. The question is what do you think he is? Is he appx 50pt player like he's pacing for this year or is he a 25-30pt player like the rest of his career suggests? On a contendering team 3.5-4M for a fourth line center is a heavy price. If you think highly of Beck it makes it an even tougher call.

 

[Rapala]

I'm taking all calls for Evans and letting everyone know my phone won't stop ringing.
The best deal would be to a team desperate to get over the hump as opposed to real contender.

He's a UFA and we need decide if we can over pay because it will be an over payment.
Jake will cash in and it better not be here it makes no sense for us having Beck and Kapanen in the system.

The one thing Hughes has done well is to not tie himself to un-moveable contracts with clauses and term.
There is not one long term deal that can't be moved so don't start now.

The rebuild continues.

 

[Goalfield13]

Sign Evans now and once our young Cs (Hage, Beck) can fill his shoes, you trade him. Pretty simple. Letting him walk would be throwing our young guys to the wolves. Look how that plan worked out when Allen, Monahan and Kovacevic were gone. We need to support our young guys.

 

[morhilane]

I'm pretty sure Evans is going to price himself out of Montréal and he might not repeat this season.

But he might not be traded at the deadline, that will depend where the boys are in the standings near the deadline.

 

[Deleted member 257557]

Habs have a 1c and a ufa 4c; don’t have a 2c in the org and a couple of ahl/ncaa kids trending for 3c imo. Feels like most years since the 90’s, really. Would be sweet to figure out the 2c budget before extending Evans but they sort of have to sign him.

He is at his prime and I think we see exactly what he’ll have to give for the next 4 which msl seems to really enjoy (a player you can trust and project).

 

[vokiel]

Habs have a 1c and a ufa 4c; don’t have a 2c in the org and a couple of ahl/ncaa kids trending for 3c imo. Feels like most years since the 90’s, really. Would be sweet to figure out the 2c budget before extending Evans but they sort of have to sign him.

He is at his prime and I think we see exactly what he’ll have to give for the next 4 which msl seems to really enjoy (a player you can trust and project).

Evans' performance right now is 3C grade.

 

[Goalfield13]

Habs have a 1c and a ufa 4c; don’t have a 2c in the org and a couple of ahl/ncaa kids trending for 3c imo. Feels like most years since the 90’s, really. Would be sweet to figure out the 2c budget before extending Evans but they sort of have to sign him.

He is at his prime and I think we see exactly what he’ll have to give for the next 4 which msl seems to really enjoy (a player you can trust and project).

Evans is a good 3C now. We will see that once he signs somewhere else and wins a cup.

 

[Deleted member 257557]

Evans is a good 3C now. We will see that once he signs somewhere else and wins a cup.

Sure, I could have labelled him ufa 3c. A stud 2c would fix so much for the habs and yeah, my perceived “total center power” could include Evans at 3C.

It’s funny how another guy struggling with penalties and face-offs is giving Evans so much of a showcase playing pk and taking important face-offs.

 

[Naslund]

Owen Beck

 

[WinterLion]

We will regret signing him.

You guys all hate Newhook and his contract... you think you won't hate Evans in a year??

Save the money and pay the top guys first.... then worry about building around them

We don't even have a nucleus established yet...

 

[Draft]

I think he’s a solid bottom-6 player. On a cup-contending team, I think he plays 4C and contributes on the PK. I like that he’s been here a long time and is fairly low-maintenance, being quick and good on faceoffs is a plus. I don’t really see him as a 3C outside of this contract year and we’re not a contending team if he’s our best option to move into the top-6 after an injury. I’m not interested in paying a premium for a good 4C when we have ELCs ready to step in.

Good, versatile, home grown player that would be nice to keep around if on a team-friendly deal and playing in the right role. I’d work to find a solution to the 2C spot before signing Evans to play in a role he ideally won’t fill moving forward. If he’ll bring back assets at the trade deadline that help us acquire that 2C, then move him.

 

[JianYang]

I love the way he is playing. He looks like the kind of guy that contending teams would covet at the deadline.

I just feel like I've seen this movie play out before where you give the bottom 6 guy his bag and it ages poorly. Not to mention Evan's struggles to stay healthy in the past probably won't be getting easier as he approaches 30 years of age.

Then again, you want some veteran presence as you try to bring along Beck and Hage. That won't happen overnight.

I'm going to be a wuss and sit on the fence for now. This is a real tricky one.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

If we can sign him to 4 x $3.25m I would be OK with that.

 

[Skip Bayless]

3 years 2.5 final offer.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

3.5 x 4 is my ceiling for him. Anymore and I wish him luck.

I'd go 5 years, but yeah, he's not a $4m player.

$3.5m sounds right for him.

 

[rahad]

I will also sign him for 4 years at 4m. With him you will probably end up overpaying in his last 2 years. Kinda Like Armia.
We need him at center. After Nick Suzuki, you have big whole at the center position. Beck and Hage will probably need 2 more seasons to be NHL ready.

Pretty much a good #3C for 2025-2027 and a overpaid #4C in his last year contract.