The Montreal Canadiens are in an excellent run of form on the ice. They have been an incredibly difficult opponent for many across the NHL in the last few weeks, having extended their record to 13-5-1 following the win against the Utah Hockey Club on January 14, 2025.
The Habs managed to extend their positive form with a 5-3 victory in Utah that could have been marred by the injury that Emil Heineman suffered at the hands of a road user when he was hit by a vehicle when walking on a sidewalk. He is expected to be out of action for between three and four weeks.
His absence could have a potential impact on how the team performs over the next month or so. Although not many are betting on the Canadiens to be pushing for the Stanley Cup this season, especially with the odds available at BetVictor Canada currently +15000 and much worse than Utah’s +6000, they have been pushing for a playoff spot with recent displays.
One man that has been crucial to those performances is Jake Evans.
Speculation Regarding Evans’ Future At The Canadiens
As noted by Sportsnet’s Eric Engels in his latest mailbag, there is a lot of interest in what the future holds for Evans given his situation with the Habs.
He admitted that he wasn’t surprised that there had been so many fans asking him about what he thought of the 28-year-old’s future, too. The center is performing at his very best and the height of his career, which has caused concern around the franchise as he is edging closer to unrestricted free agency in the offseason.
With the March 7 deadline approaching, it does seem as though there isn’t too much to worry about; at least from Engels’ standing. He has suggested that he sees Evans remaining with the NHL organization and not elsewhere come the deadline. He feels that a contract extension would be agreed upon between now and then, although he did air caution about what might potentially happen.
He noted the sentiment a fan had on X (formerly Twitter) regarding the franchise having to potentially “bend” in terms of the money that they will need to offer him. The poster suggested that Evans is a bottom six forward and not a player that should be overpaid. Engels agreed, but stated that it was unrealistic to not expect the Canadiens to have to bend in terms of dollars if they want to keep him.
With the performances that he has produced this season, the centre is likely to have a number of offers come his way if he hits the free market. Those offers are likely to give him what he wants, which could make it difficult for the Habs to keep him. However, at the same time, the Sportsnet reporter stated that he was “99.9% certain” that they will keep their seventh-round pick from the 2014 NHL Draft, suggesting that they will be flexible with the money that they may want to spend.
Shouldn’t Be A Premium
Engels also admitted that he didn’t think there would be any offers that would be willing to pay him a premium if he did become available. He felt that Evans would be able to command a certain figure that valued his worth accurately, but suggested that there wouldn’t be many willing to pay top-dollar for a player who has increased his scoring percentage by 12% this season on his shots compared to any other NHL season he has played in.
However, as he is as reliable as many other stars in the league, it wouldn’t be a surprise if we saw him be handed a deal within the region of $3 million per year. As he put it, it’s best for the Canadiens not to waste time and to try and keep him in Montreal earlier than later.