March 5, 2025
While fans and pundits were surmising which teams might be interested in a deadline trade for centreman Jake Evans, and what those teams might be willing to pay to land him, the player and the team had other plans. On Tuesday the Montreal Canadiens announced they had come to terms on a four-year extension that came with an annual average value of $2.85 million.
I recently wrote that the only way General Manager Kent Hughes should be considering an extension for Evans was if it was team-friendly. There is no doubt – signing this deal was a no-brainer decision that had team written all over it.
The cap hit is team-friendly
Approaching unrestricted free agency having come off a career year that could have ended with a playoff spotlight, it was expected that Evans would fetch as much as $4 million per year on a five-year contract. A UFA doesn’t need every team to think he’s worth it – it just takes one. An extension with the Canadiens was expected to cost between $3.25 and $3.5 million per year, and it would cost on term.
No one imagined that Hughes could convince Evans to sign for under the three million dollar threshold, regardless of term. With the cap rising, Evans’ hit is practically negligible considering the value he provides.
The 200-foot workhorse was already a fan favourite for his consistency and low maintenance character. The dollars Evans has left on the table has purchased a new level of affection. It sends a message about how he feels about playing in Montreal and that love will be reciprocated.
The term is team-friendly
Of course Evans would have preferred five years, and perhaps another team would have offered it. But a four year commitment is a good outcome for the player, and it means the Habs commitment will end when the player is about to turn 33.
Evans is the veteran who will play up and down the line-up, buying time for the younger centremen to develop. When the kids are ready to take their places, Evans is the Swiss Army knife that can fill whatever hole the Habs ask of him.
He may be the 4C, but Evans is the most certain option down the middle in Montreal behind Nick Suzuki.
The fit is team friendly
It didn’t take Evans long to take to social media to express his contentment with the decision to extend with the Canadiens. He loves playing and living in Montreal. Pierre LeBrun reports it was the player who reached out again to revisit an extension and accept the offer that had been left on the table for weeks. The fit obviously works for Jake Evans.
But the fit also works for the Habs. Evans is a player who was drafted and developed by the organization who has only ever done exactly what they asked of him. And now he has accepted a contract that lacks protection against movement, offering the team maximum flexibility.
The extension is team-defining
Whatever business happens to advance the team before Friday, Hughes has made clear that a reliable veteran – certainly, one that’s worth his contract – still has a place on the rebuilding Habs. Jake Evans has a home in Montreal for another four years.
A Jake Evans trade would have signalled that the Habs were ready to sell. Perhaps they still are ready to deal some pieces. But it’s also clear they want to continue to improve in the short term and do not intend to rush young players to make it happen.
Will Hughes turn his attention to getting a return on another UFA or two? Will he look to add other pieces to try and make the playoffs? Perhaps a little of both was always the best plan. Certainly it’s clear from this extension that the Habs are not prepared to sell with abandon.
Nick Suzuki said before the season began that he hoped they could avoid another deadline where teammates they loved were moved on to acquire future assets. Suzuki has certainly done his very best to make Hughes see it his way. Even if some guys move on, this contract sends a message about a shift in where the team is at.
There are still three days of business before the deadline and options for Hughes to consider. On Tuesday, he took care of some business that defined the path a little. Now we wait for other pieces.
Hab At Her 