Goaltender Igor Shesterkin #31 of the New York Rangers tends the net as Jake Evans #71 of the Montreal Canadiens (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
The Montreal Canadiens have had a bumpy start to their season, but Jake Evans has been a model of consistency so far; and teams have taken notice.
According to an RG source, as the Canadiens continue to look for a starting forward, some of their forwards have begun appearing on early-season trade boards.
The Canadiens have two of their centres, Evans and Christian Dvorak, coming up as pending free agents this summer, and they have some important decisions to make about their future.
“The Canadiens have options in terms of being able to move either, but I’m hearing Jake Evans’ name a lot more so far than Dvorak,” said the source.
“The Canadiens aren’t in a rush to move Evans right now, as he’s excellent for them on the penalty kill.”
And it makes sense. Jake Evans has been a model of consistency for a club that has been somewhat inconsistent so far this season.
So far, Evans has scored two goals and five points in 11 games for the Canadiens while spearheading one of the best penalty-killing units this season.
That jump in offensive production, combined with a mature defensive game, has created a bit of buzz around Evans.
“I know of at least three teams that are paying close attention to Jake Evans at the moment,“ said the source. “He’s playing some of his best hockey to start the season, he’s a leader out there and he’s an ace on special teams. It’s a contract year too. Contending teams will look for that as a rental and usually pay well.”
The other key here is that Evans only makes $1.7M, making him an ideal, cheap addition for any cap-strapped contending team.
If that team has cap space, the Canadiens likely wouldn’t even need to retain in a trade for Evans, as most teams would easily be able to fit Evans into their cap structure without missing a beat.
Need On Defence
If the Canadiens are indeed in the playoff mix, similarly to the Nashville Predators last season, they may look to make some moves to balance out their lineup better and capitalize on their pending free agents.
As mentioned by RG back in September, the Montreal Canadiens aren’t comfortable with the NHL depth on the right side of their defense.
It wouldn’t be outlandish to see them use existing assets to shore up that position of need, especially as the Canadiens continue to make a push.
Moving on from Evans would certainly hurt the Canadiens in the short term, but according to the source, if they can secure an asset or two that could be flipped for more depth at RD, the risk may be worth the venture.
“The Canadiens have other assets to trade, for sure. Four picks in the first two rounds in 2025, if I remember correctly. But they aren’t intent on sacrificing the future either, so cashing in on their pending free agents may be the best route to flip those assets for help elsewhere.”
