Jake Evans would be traded by Kent Hughes, but on one condition
The Montreal Canadiens' poor start to the season, which could, unless a major turnaround, result in another very high pick in the upcoming draft, risks upending some important decisions within the organization.
Kent Hughes will have several future free agent files to manage for next summer and will have to decide before the trade deadline whether he will extend certain agreements or let them expire.
Among these players, David Savard and Jake Evans will be the two most difficult cases to evaluate, but let's focus on the 28-year-old center.
Evans, who has already accumulated seven points this season and who was even placed on the second line by Martin St-Louis recently, is well positioned to negotiate an interesting contract.
If he continues on this momentum, it is likely that the Canadiens' GM will look to keep him, because he is an important piece of the team currently, particularly because of his defensive role and on the penalty kill.
It won't be easy to decide between capitalizing on his value by trading him at the trade deadline or extending his contract.
However, Evans' future in Montreal could depend on the performance of a young prospect on the team.
Jake Evans' future with the Canadiens is closely linked to Owen Beck's
According to information from journalist Nicolas Cloutier, Kent Hughes is waiting to see what Owen Beck can offer before making a decision regarding Evans' future.
Beck, who is currently shining with the Laval Rocket (11 points in 12 games), could be a more economical option and just as effective in the long term. If he continues to progress like this, he could offer superior offensive potential, and at a much lower cost than Evans.
Even if Jake Evans provides good services to the Canadiens this season, if he demands a contract higher than $3 million annually and the Canadiens GM judges that Beck can offer the same performance with a rookie contract, the decision will be easier to make.
In addition, with everything that number 71 can bring to a team, his value in a trade could be very high for a team aiming for major honors.
It will be interesting to see how the situation evolves in the coming months.
| POLL | ||
What would you do with Jake Evans? | ||
| I would trade him at full price | 37 | 20.9 % |
| I would trade him and try to sign on July 1st | 29 | 16.4 % |
| I would keep him and extend | 111 | 62.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
