Jake Evans Makes an Announcement About His Future in Montreal, Confirming the Rumor
One of the most reliable forwards for the Montreal Canadiens this season isn't Nick Suzuki but rather Jake Evans.
Wearing #71, Evans has been playing excellent hockey, and his coach always knows what to expect when he's sent out on the ice.
Whether it's 5-on-5 or on the penalty kill, where he's a real threat, he consistently gets the job done.
Kent Hughes Needs to Be Careful with Jake Evans' Case
Evans, 28, will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 if he doesn't reach an agreement with the organization that drafted him 207th overall in the 2014 draft.
This fact might tempt the club's management to trade him before the deadline.
However, Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton need to tread carefully to avoid making another trade like the one involving Artturi Lehkonen.
The former #62 for the Canadiens has been extremely difficult to replace, and now the organization finally has a player of his caliber again.
It would be unfortunate to lose Evans only to end up looking for another player like him in a few years.
Leadership is another key factor to consider, as Evans is part of the team's veteran core with his 307 games in the league.
Given how much this team is lacking in leadership and veteran presence, trading him could be a very risky move.
Jake Evans Knows Where He Wants to Play Next Year and Makes an Announcement About His Future in Montreal
In an interview with Renaud Lavoie last Friday in Chicago, Evans made his intentions clear. He stated that he wants to continue his career in Montreal and that his goal is to sign a contract extension.
What excellent news!
The TVA Sports journalist added that the organization also wants to retain the services of its forward.
What Is Jake Evans Worth?
In recent weeks, the excellent Marco D'Amico mentioned that Evans could easily command a long-term contract worth around $4 to $4.5 million per year. He is currently earning $1.7 million.
This would mean a salary increase of between $2.3 and $2.8 million per season.
When you consider his value to the lineup, giving Evans that amount seems like a no-brainer.
To illustrate this, look at all the work he did on Caufield's goal last Saturday in Colorado, even though he didn't earn a point on the play.
We'd love to see Evans on the top line more often, as he was during that game.
He replaced Juraj Slafkovsky, who clearly didn't have Martin St. Louis' trust in such a crucial moment of the game.
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JANVIER 7 | 2872 ANSWERS Jake Evans Makes an Announcement About His Future in Montreal, Confirming the Rumor Keep or trade Jake Evans? | ||
| Keep | 2448 | 85.2 % |
| Trade at a high price | 424 | 14.8 % |
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