The Montreal Canadiens have issued the biggest statement of intent for their actions prior to Friday’s NHL Trade Deadline by signing F Jake Evans to a four-year contract extension.
The contract will pay him an average annual salary of $2.85 million.
Evans is in the middle of a career season with 12 goals and 16 assists in 61 games. He has been a solid bottom-six player and penalty killer, and with this contract will remain with this team for the foreseeable future.
Locking in the 28-year-old for four years at under $3 million is a tremendous bit of business for Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes, even before considering the potential for a rising salary cap. This makes it clear that Evans and the Canadiens always had the priority of extending their relationship that started when Evans was a seventh-round pick in the 2014 NHL Draft.
Evans was set to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
