Montreal Canadiens: Sign Jake Evans and let him play
By Omar L
Although the Montreal Canadiens season is over, it would be a good move to get Jake Evans on a contract allowing him to play games with the Laval Rocket.
It was a rough weekend on multiple fronts for the Montreal Canadiens. Not only did their regular season come to an end with a loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, but prospect Jake Evans and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish dropped their Championship game to Minnesota Duluth. Now hockey is over for both until September, or is it?
Evans eventual entry-level contract has been one of the most talked about things in the fanbase. His senior at Notre Dame was by far his best in more ways then point production. The 21-year-old improved in the faceoff circle, awareness, and defensive coverage as the season progressed. The Fighting Irish could use him in any situation, especially in those moments of the game where they needed a play to go their way.
The Fighting Irish’s late-game goal at the hands of Evans was one of few examples. The ‘clutch’ gene is an underrated quality a player can have. Watching Evans perform for his team and step up was a reassuring sign of what is to come for him with the Montreal Canadiens one day. It may not be months before Evans plays a game in the organization.
His contract is something that can be dealt with later in the summer if that’s what his camp chooses. However, there’s no reason why he couldn’t sign a PTO with the Laval Rocket and play in one of or both of their remaining games against the Toronto Marlies. Giving young players opportunity via tryouts has been something Laval has focused on for the last number of weeks.
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Even if they didn’t cut it in the AHL, they were still able to remain in the organization via the Brampton Beast. Bailey Webster, for example, was initially brought in on a tryout from the Saint John Sea Dogs but didn’t do enough to remain with the time like the other entries.
This isn’t to say that Evans will falter playing at the next level, in fact, he can do much more than that. The Laval Rocket may be his home next season unless he has an impressive training camp. Claude Julien hasn’t been shy to give young players a look with the Montreal Canadiens if they deserve it. The seventh-round pick has the tools to be an effective NHL player; he has to bring that to light.
There’s also the possibility that Evans doesn’t want to play any more games for now. That would be understandable, and with the deadline date set at August 15th, the Montreal Canadiens don’t have to sign him now.
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That being said, seeing him up close and personal within the organization would be a huge positive. Additionally, it’s another layer of internal competition among players on the team, even if it’s at the end of the season.