Montreal Hockey Fanatics has no direct affiliation to the Montreal Canadiens, NHL or NHLPA
Canadiens Forward Jake Evans Finally Explains Why He Passed on More Money to Stay in Montreal
When Jake Evans signed a new deal with the Montreal Canadiens just before the 2025 trade deadline, fans were thrilled.
Not only was the center having the best season of his career, but the fact that he decided to stay in Montreal proved without a doubt that the organization is heading in the right direction.
Evans was set to become an unrestricted free agent and could have landed a very lucrative contract with another NHL team.
If this had happened a year or two earlier, it's very likely that Kent Hughes would have traded him at the deadline for lower-end prospects or draft picks.
That said, the 29-year-old instead signed a new four-year contract worth an annual salary of $2.85 million. This clearly shows that Evans wanted to stay with the Canadiens, no matter the price.
Jake Evans doesn't care about leaving money on the table to stay with the Montreal Canadiens
In the fourth episode of the series The Rebuild: At the Heart of the Montreal Canadiens, he said he's very happy he chose to remain in Montreal instead of cashing in with another team in the NHL.
"I don't care that people want to say I left money on the table, because nothing ever came about.. I could get hurt one day and that could all be gone. I could go to a team and they might not like me, and things could have ended poorly and I could lose a ton of value too. I'm not going to have any regrets and I'm totally happy with my decision."
- Jake Evans
- Jake Evans
It's safe to say Jake Evans values loyalty over chasing a bigger payday.
Now that he's signed long-term with the Canadiens, the team's 2014 seventh-round pick can focus on the upcoming season and his role as a veteran presence within the organization.
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 21 | 1393 ANSWERS Canadiens Forward Jake Evans Finally Explains Why He Passed on More Money to Stay in Montreal Which one will be the best center for the Montreal Canadiens, in your opinion? | ||
| Jake Evans | 713 | 51.2 % |
| Owen Beck | 349 | 25.1 % |
| Oliver Kapanen | 331 | 23.8 % |
| List of polls | ||