Lets talk about Jake Evans

The Montreal Canadiens are currently trying to follow up a strong start to the season, with a clinched playoff berth come April.

Generally, the focus would be on just that, but apparently not, and that is because Jake Evans is playing the best hockey of his career. In a contract year, Evans is hot at the right time, and his play is increasing his value by the day. Kent Hughes is a fair general manager, and the players respect him because of it, which is why I think that whatever he offers Evans will be the same.

Evans's importance to the time is immeasurable; not only does he thrive at five-on-five, but he forms a nice trio with Emil Heineman and Joel Armia. But he and Armia have been two of the Habs best penalty killer's and Evans is a stud in the faceoff dot. With Evans, the Habs have the exact centre that pushes teams over the edge for Stanley Cups.

I think it's accurate to state that Evans is scoring above what he likely will next season and beyond that, which is perfect for Evans. But from Hughes's perspective, he has to offer a deal that reflects what Evans's potential is worth. This season, Evans is on pace to score 50 points - but that is a first since he is closer to a 30-point producer.

Paying a 30-point producer, the same amount of money that a 50-point player is worth doesn't sound like great asset management. But the Canadiens need to assess whether what Evans brings beyond his 30 points is more important to the team than an additional 20 points. So long as Evans isn't relied upon for offence, the team will get the best out of the player.

I'm not sure if an eight-year deal is in the cards, but I do think that Evans should be signed for at least five more seasons. I don't think that term is going to cause any problems, if anything needs to be negotiated, I think it will be money. A fourth-liner making $4 million annually is a little bit rich and could cause problems for the team down the road.

I'm hopeful and confident that Hughes and Evans can get something done, and I think that he should be excited to stay in Montreal. Hughes will have to play off of that, but I think the team is building something special, and Evans wanting to be a part of that, has to factor in.

Evans; a mentor for the young centres?

Evans is 28 years old, making his the second oldest centre on the Canadiens, behind Christian Dvorak, who is a handful of months older. With Owen Beck, Oliver Kapanen and potentially Florian Xhekaj down the road, the Habs will put their veteran centres to work. Having a guy who is a little older, is great for the rookies to watch, learn and ask questions to.

I love everything that Evans brings to the Canadiens, and I think that his importance goes far beyond what he does on the scoreboard. Evans is an impact player in all three zones, and he is reliable; someone who Marty can rely on late in the period, and when the team is down a man. Winning faceoffs, and making key defensive plays is essential for a hockey team, and Evans does that for the Habs.

I think that Suzuki and Dach have learned from Evans, and when Beck and Kapanen are in Montreal, the centre core will benefit from their older teammates. I love the idea of these guys learning and having things to pass on to Michael Hage when he is ready to make the jump. Very good offensive centres, who operate well in the faceoff dot will be tremendous for Montreal's puck possession.

Evans has been an important piece, and if he doesn't get what he wants from Montreal, he will get it elsewhere.