Center Jake Evans had quite an eventful year with the Montreal Canadiens. Playing in his contract year, he was on fire and producing offensively like never before in the first part of the season. By December 30, he had 23 points and was on pace for 52 points and 23 goals, a torrid pace which he could not keep through no fault of his own.

With Joel Armia on one wing and rookie Emil Heineman on the other, Evans masterfully pivoted the Canadiens' fourth (and sometimes third) line. Much of his offensive production was down to the efficient forechecking his line played, especially rookie Heineman acting like a wrecking ball; he landed 173 hits in just 62 games for an average of 2.79 hits per game. Team leader Juraj Slafkovsky had 194 in 79 games for a 2.46 average.

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Speaking to the press before the 4 Nations Face-Off break, Evans said it had been an honour to wear the Sainte-Flanelle, talking like a guy who knew he wouldn’t be in town for much longer.

Still, GM Kent Hughes signed an extension with Evans as the trade deadline approached. It was a four-year deal with a $2.85 M cap hit, leading to a $1,150,00 raise. This is a very reasonable number, which probably would have been higher on the free agent market this Summer, but in the end, Evans wanted to stay.

While he played all 82 games, the 20 games played without Heineman certainly didn’t help his production, nor did the fact that, coming back from a wrist injury, the young Swede was unable to find the back of the net as he did before being hit by a car in Utah. Evans ended his season with 36 points, seven more than his previous personal best, but he’s much more than just points.

Over the years, Evans has developed expertise as a penalty killer, a skill essential for a team to contend. Alongside linemate Joel Armia and defensemen Mike Matheson and Alexandre Carrier, he formed the team’s first penalty killing unit and scored three shorthanded goals; only six players scored more in the entire league.

The fourth line had a tough time finishing the season. Both Evans and Armia were battling injuries, which prevented them from shooting as they would have liked, but Martin St-Louis could still count on them for efficient play off the puck.

Overall, I give Evans a B+ grade for his accomplishments this season. He had a career year just at the right moment, and he convinced the powers that be that he should still be part of this team going forward. Keeping him around will ease the pressure on the organization’s younger centers and give them time to develop correctly.

Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images

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