While a 6-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres didn’t impress many, the Montreal Canadiens had a decent test waiting for them with a home-and-home against the Detroit Red Wings. They put together an excellent start to it on Friday night, crossing the 30-shot plateau for the first time this season, and taking a 4-3 regulation win before heading back to Montreal for tonight’s finale.
The bottom-six was key to earning this win, and Jake Evans has been the lynchpin there for most of the season. He’s performing in a way that is sure to see him get a significant raise next season.
Jake Evans picks Lucas Raymond's pocket, walks in and gives the #Habs a 2-1 lead shorthanded.
— Matt Drake (@drakemt.bsky.social) December 20, 2024 at 8:45 PM
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Even if you put aside his five-on-five play, Evans can do things like this while killing penalties. This was a key moment for the Habs, because they weren’t getting any calls from the officials early in the game. He was perfectly positioned for the steal, walks in with the puck and beats Cam Talbot, who had been pretty frustrating for the Habs early in this game.
Management has a tough decision to make when it comes to Evans. He’s doing exactly what he needs to do in a contract year to juice the next one as much as possible. If the Habs want to re-sign him, it will be significantly north of the $1.7 million AAV that he’s currently costing. On the open market, it wouldn’t be surprising for him to double that, so they’ll have to decide if they want to do that given the deals they have kicking in, and the ones they still have to sign.
The other option is to see what might be out there on the trade market at the deadline. Good bottom-six help is always a smart add for contending teams, and Evans is on pace for over 40 points this season, so most playoff-bound teams could probably find a spot for him in the lineup. The important thing for Montreal is to maximize the return, which could be tough since teams don’t tend to offer a king’s ransom for third liners.
They have Owen Beck waiting in the wings, who is touted as an upgraded version of Evans. That said, expecting him to step straight into Evans’s role next year could be a tall task, so letting Evans go is only something they can do if they have confidence that he can be effectively replaced by Beck or someone else.
It won’t be an easy decision, but the good news is that the Habs have developed Evans into a player that far exceeds the value of the seventh-round pick they used to select him.
Click the play button below to listen to your full Bottom Six Minutes, also available wherever you get your podcasts. We’ll be back tonight, as the Habs will complete the home-and-home with the Red Wings at the Bell Centre.
