Montreal Canadiens: Jake Evans Developing Into a Shutdown Center

Canadiens’ center Jake Evans has elevated his game as of late and has earned a full-time role on the third line.

In an up and down season for the Montreal Canadiens, rookie center Jake Evans has been one of the bright spots. The 24-year-old Toronto native has fought his way into the lineup and earned the trust of head coach Dom Ducharme.

Evans was selected in the seventh round of the 2014 NHL entry draft before spending four years at Notre Dame, collecting 46 points in 40 games in his final season. After spending two years with the Laval Rocket, Evans played 13 games for the Montreal Canadiens in the 2019-20 regular season and six games in the 2019-20 playoffs.

In the 46 games he has played this season, Evans has played with a high level of passion and intensity – something that has been lacking from the Canadiens’ lineup as of late. He has shown a level of compete similar to that of Brendan Gallagher.

With Eric Staal being acquired at the trade deadline, Evans was the odd man out of the lineup. He got a chance to see the game from a different perspective and await his opportunity to draw back into the lineup.

Staal’s short stint with the Canadiens hasn’t been an impressive one so far. The future hall-of-famer has looked half a step behind the play and as though he is chasing the game in the offensive zone.

With Staal’s underwhelming performance and the injury to top centerman Phil Danault, Evans has been given the chance to prove that he belongs. He has to demonstrate that, when he is given icetime, he can bring energy and pace in the offensive zone, while being reliable in the defensive zone.

Evans has done that and then some, especially with his most recent performance against the Edmonton Oilers.

It is no secret that the schedule has been very gruelling down the stretch for the Canadiens, and with injuries to key players, they have had to adapt and overcome. With all the injuries, the biggest challenge for Ducharme and his staff has been the constant blending and balancing of the forward lines.

Prior to the game against the Oilers, Ducharme put together a line that he thought had the chance to be effective in a shutdown role, but could also contribute offensively.

The line of Artturi Lehkonen, Jake Evans and Paul Byron was born. A trio with speed, intensity, a strong defensive presence, and the ability to transition quickly onto the attack.

Danault is typically assigned the task of containing Connor McDavid, but with his absence, this task was left to Evans and his new linemates.

Yes, the Canadiens lost the game in overtime, but the Evans line was a force to be reckoned with. They were the most utilized with 10:37 TOI, were very efficient with a 65.22 CF%, and produced all three goals for the Canadiens. With eight points amongst them in the contest, the “BEL” line should be here to stay.

Evans was goalless in 40 games, but got the Canadiens on the board with a beauty at the mid-way point of the first period.

Though it was nice to see Evans produce offensively and create chances all over the ice, it was his defensive play that stood out the most.  The young pivot had a career-high 17:16 TOI with most of his shifts coming against the world’s best in McDavid or Draisaitl. He was also relied upon heavily on the penalty kill and in the faceoff dot.

Evans has earned his spot in the lineup and most definitely deserves a roster spot come playoff time. The Canadiens coaching staff will have some hard decisions to make when the first round of the playoffs comes around, but whether or not Jake Evans should be in the lineup is a question that should never cross their mind.