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Canadiens Sign Jake Evans To Four-Year Extension

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The Canadiens announced they’ve signed center Jake Evans to a four-year extension, taking him off the trade market. It’s worth a total of $11.4MM with a cap hit of $2.85MM. The contract doesn’t include trade protection, according to Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic.

Talks on the deal came to a head over the weekend after a few weeks of silence, Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic adds. The 28-year-old “made the call he didn’t want to leave” and will remain in Montreal as the upstart club looks to challenge for their first playoff berth since reaching the 2021 Stanley Cup Final.

Evans, a seventh-round pick by the Habs back in 2014, was on that club. Now in his sixth NHL season, he’s been a bottom-six fixture for Montreal almost instantaneously upon getting his first taste of NHL hockey. Now a reliable producer in the 20-to-30-point range, he’s seen his ice time climb to the 16-minute range per game while seeing increased even-strength minutes and heavy penalty kill deployment, especially since the 2022-23 campaign.

Trade interest in Evans, who was set to be a UFA this summer, spiked after a scorching start to the campaign. He punched far above his weight offensively in the first half of the campaign, notching 10-13–23 in 37 appearances before New Year’s. He’s been far quieter as of late, limited to five points in his last 24 outings, but his winning draws at a career-best 52.8% clip and is still on pace for a career-high 38 points. He likely could have fetched a higher return than the second-rounder, fourth-rounder, and C-tier prospect the Bruins received for physical depth forward Trent Frederic today. He’ll instead opt to continue his career in Montreal on a deal that earns him less per season than his $3.4MM projection from AFP Analytics.

Evans hasn’t been a possession monster for the Habs, posting negative relative Corsi shares at even strength in every year since 2022-23. Those splits come amid heavy defensive zone usage, though, making his career 46.7 CF% and 46.6 xGF% defensible. In fact, his shutdown unit this season with Joel Armia and rookie Emil Heineman has graded out quite well defensively. They’re allowing just 1.79 expected goals against per 60 minutes, seventh-best in the league among lines with more than 150 minutes together, according to MoneyPuck.

The Toronto native thus elects to stick around with Montreal as they exit their rebuild. His play is a significant reason why they’re just one point out of a playoff spot during deadline week and have a 12% chance of leapfrogging at least the Red Wings, Rangers, and Senators for the final wild-card spot, per MoneyPuck. He’ll remain in a Habs sweater through the 2028-29 campaign, after which he’ll be a UFA at age 33.

The Canadiens now have $11.4MM in projected cap space for next season with six open roster spots, although they’ll have significant flexibility with retired goaltender Carey Price’s $10.5MM cap hit eligible for LTIR.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Canadiens Open To Keeping Jake Evans

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The Nashville Predators are reportedly listening to trade offers on veteran center Ryan O’Reilly (as per Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic). The Predators aren’t in a hurry to move the 34-year-old as he still has two years left on his current contract at $4.5MM per season and continues to provide strong two-way play, despite his offensive production dipping this season. O’Reilly is just a year removed from posting 69 points in 82 games and has put up points at a reasonable rate this year with 14 goals and 22 assists in 56 games.

The Predators aren’t actively trying to trade the Clinton, Ontario native, but it does sound as though they are open to doing so if they receive a trade offer that is to their liking. They currently sit 16 points out of a playoff spot but have many veterans inked to long term deals and are unlikely to initiate a rebuild anytime soon.

In other morning notes:

  • The Seattle Kraken have not closed the door on re-signing pending free agent center Yanni Gourde (as per Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic). Gourde is out of the lineup at the moment recovering from successful sports hernia surgery and has not played since January 2nd. He is expected to return before the NHL Trade Deadline and could be moved if Seattle can’t sign him to an extension. The situation is not unlike that of Jordan Eberle last year, who lingered on trade boards up until he signed a two-year extension to remain in Seattle.
  • The Montreal Canadiens are reportedly open to keeping forward Jake Evans and won’t just move him for the sake of trading him (as per Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic). Montreal remains in the playoff hunt in the Eastern Conference, sitting just three points back of Detroit for the final Wild Card spot and has plenty of draft picks at their disposal. The Canadiens have reportedly communicated their willingness to hang onto the 28-year-old Evans, who is set to become a UFA on July 1st.  LeBrun believes that Winnipeg, New Jersey, Minnesota, Toronto and Edmonton are among the teams that have inquired about Evans.

Maple Leafs Showing Interest In Evans

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  • The Maple Leafs are among the teams with strong interest in Canadiens center Jake Evans, reports David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period (Twitter link). Evans is on pace for a career year offensively and has 11 goals and 26 assists through 59 games.  He’s also the most-used forward shorthanded in the league while being a little above average at the faceoff dot and it’s his defensive play that will have teams interested in adding him over the coming days.  With a $1.7MM cap charge, he’d be easier for Toronto to fit into their current cap structure compared to some of the more prominent but pricier middlemen potentially available.

Canadiens’ Kirby Dach Undergoes Knee Surgery, Out For Season

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Canadiens forward Kirby Dach will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery on his right knee, the team announced today.

It’s the same knee that Dach needed surgery on in October 2023, when a hit from then-Blackhawks defenseman Jarred Tinordi caused an ACL and MCL tear and ended his season midway through his second appearance. He returned fully healthy for training camp in the fall, which Montreal said they expect to happen again this time.

Dach, 24, had been healthy all season before leaving last Saturday’s game against the Senators. He’d already sat out two contests with the injury before undergoing surgery. He hasn’t yet landed on injured reserve, but he will if Montreal needs additional roster flexibility ahead of next Friday’s trade deadline.

While uninterrupted until now, Dach’s 2024-25 campaign wasn’t one to write home about. The 2019 No. 3 overall pick ends his campaign with 10-12–22 in 57 games along with a career-worst -29 rating. His 0.39 points per game were a far cry from his 0.66 in the 2022-23 campaign, his first in Montreal after they acquired him from the Blackhawks for a pair of draft picks (the higher of which became Frank Nazar for Chicago).

The 6’4″ pivot did record a career-high 100 hits this year, but that’s more indicative of his newfound possession struggles than anything else. His 44.8 CF% at even strength was the worst of his career by far despite receiving the most advantageous offensive deployment of his young career. Dach’s 34.9 GF% at 5v5 is the worst among Canadiens skaters with at least 15 games played, per Natural Stat Trick, despite his 149 offensive zone starts leading the club.

A natural center, Dach has also consistently struggled in the faceoff dot since debuting with Chicago immediately in his post-draft season. His subpar 40.3 FOW% this year matched a career-high, leading Montreal head coach Martin St. Louis to deploy him on the wing more consistently. His most common linemates this year were Patrik Laine and Alex Newhook, the latter of whom has settled in as the Habs’ second-line center behind captain Nick Suzuki for the time being. That could change soon, though, as rookie Owen Beck has seen deployment in Dach’s place since being recalled earlier this week and has won 15 of his 28 draws this year. He recorded his first NHL point, an assist, in yesterday’s overtime win over the Sharks.

A second knee surgery in a year and a half rightfully calls Dach’s long-term standing in the organization into question. His first procedure stalled his initial breakout in Montreal, and his negative impacts this season post-surgery are clear. Whether he can get himself back on track to becoming a top-six-caliber player after going under the knife again remains to be seen.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Canadiens Recall Owen Beck

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The Canadiens have recalled center prospect Owen Beck from AHL Laval, per a team announcement. They have an open roster spot and don’t need to make a corresponding transaction. The team said there is an injury-related motivation for his recall, though – Kirby Dach is being evaluated for a lower-body injury and won’t participate in today’s practice.

Montreal selected Beck from the Ontario Hockey League’s Mississauga Steelheads with the first pick of the second round in the 2022 draft. While he signed his entry-level contract in October of that year, it just came into effect for 2024-25 after he spent two post-draft campaigns on loan back to the OHL.

That means the 21-year-old Beck is in his first professional season, which has already included six NHL appearances with the Habs over the past two months. While he made his NHL debut in January 2023 amid a championship-winning campaign in juniors, this year marks his first multi-game run in the pros.

His adjustment to the next level has been smooth. After a pair of seasons above a point per game to close the book on his major junior career, the two-way pivot ranks second on Laval in scoring with 13-19–32 in 47 appearances. His +11 rating ranks third, helping fuel the success of a Laval club projected to finish second in the North Division behind the Sabres’ farm club in Rochester. Beck has yet to record his first NHL point and averaged just 9:45 per game across his sextet of appearances over the past few weeks. He went 11-for-21 on draws and averaged one shot on goal per game with 13 hits and positive possession impacts, so he’s making his presence known outside of the box score as most expected, given his intelligent play style.

If Dach can’t play tomorrow against the Hurricanes, Beck will likely enter the lineup in a fourth-line role while rumored trade chip Jake Evans sees his minutes elevated. The oft-injured Dach has managed to appear in all 57 games for the Habs this year. He’s struggled in extended top-six deployment, though, posting just 10-12–22 with a team-worst -29 rating. His possession numbers back up the allegations of poor defensive play – his 44.8 CF% at even strength is higher than only Patrik Laine and David Savard among active Montreal skaters this season.

Heineman Activated Off IR

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  • The Canadiens will welcome back Emil Heineman tonight against Ottawa, per a team announcement (Twitter link). The rookie has chipped in with 10 goals and seven assists in 41 games despite primarily playing on Montreal’s fourth line as he’s averaging just over 11 minutes a night.  Heineman missed the last five weeks with an upper-body injury sustained on a road trip in Utah when he was struck by a car.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Montreal Canadiens

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Navigating the salary cap is one of the most important tasks for a front office.  Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful.  Those that don’t often see struggles and front office changes.

PHR is looking at every NHL team and giving a thorough look at their cap situation for the 2024-25 season.  This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL.  All cap figures are courtesy of PuckPedia.  We’re currently covering the Atlantic Division, next up is the Canadiens.

Montreal Canadiens

Current Cap Hit: $90,661,575 (over the $88MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

G Jakub Dobes (one year, $925K)
D Kaiden Guhle (one year, $863.3K)
F Emil Heineman (one year, $897.5K)
D Lane Hutson (two years, $950K)
F Juraj Slafkovsky (one year, $950K)
D Jayden Struble (one year, $867.5K)

Potential Bonuses
Guhle: $420K
Hutson: $750K
Slafkovsky: $3.5MM
Struble: $57.5K
Total: $4.7275MM

Slafkovsky has already signed an extension so we’ll just look at the bonuses here.  The $2.5MM in ‘B’ bonuses aren’t going to happen but he also has four ‘A’ bonuses worth $250K apiece.  He’s on his way to getting one for ATOI while another for assists is within reach.  Heineman is in his first full NHL season and was off to a good start before being struck by a car while in Utah.  With limited experience (less than 50 games thus far), it’s hard to see him landing a long-term deal.  Instead, a two-year bridge deal around the $1.5MM to $1.75MM range might be where his next contract lands.

Hutson has been quite impressive in his freshman year, leading all rookies in scoring, making him a Calder Trophy contender in the process.  He’s tracking to hit his three ‘A’ bonuses; he already has reached ones for assists and points while ATOI is all but a lock at this point as well.  Meanwhile, he seems like a strong candidate to be the next Montreal youngster to bypass a short-term second deal in favor of a long-term pact.  In recent years, the team has effectively operated within an internal cap, trying to keep all contracts below that of their captain.  However, with the big jumps coming to the Upper Limit, that might be harder to do with Hutson who could be heading for something in the $8.5MM range unless the Canadiens opt for less than a max-term contract.

Like Slafkovsky, Guhle has already signed his next contract so we’ll only look at the bonuses here.  He’s on pace to hit both of his ‘A’ bonuses with ATOI and plus/minus although if his recent injury keeps him out for the rest of the season, he could get passed for the latter.  Struble, meanwhile, has been the seventh defender for most of the year but is no longer waiver-exempt, leading to a less-than-optimal situation.  With the limited usage, a bridge deal is all but a certainty; whether it’s a one or two-year pact is the only question.  A one-year might check in around the $1MM mark while a two-year agreement could be closer to $1.3MM.  Meanwhile, his bonuses are games played-based so while he won’t max out on those, he could still get a bit of that.  At the moment, Montreal is tracking toward having at least $1.42MM in reached bonuses, a number that would be charged against next year’s cap unless they can get out of LTIR and bank that much in cap room by the end of the season.

Dobes took over as Montreal’s backup goaltender after the holiday break and impressed early on before struggling in recent weeks.  If the Canadiens are prepared to commit to him as the full-time backup, his bridge deal could check in around $1.25MM but a one-year pact worth closer to his $874K qualifying offer could also happen if they envision him being back in the minors next season.

Signed Through 2024-25, Non-Entry-Level

F Joel Armia ($3.4MM, UFA)
F Christian Dvorak ($4.45MM, UFA)
F Jake Evans ($1.7MM, UFA)
F Michael Pezzetta ($812.5K, UFA)
G Cayden Primeau ($890K, RFA)
D David Savard ($3.5MM, UFA)

Dvorak was acquired to be an impactful center, being acquired less than an hour after the team declined to match Carolina’s offer sheet for Jesperi Kotkaniemi.  However, his role has become more and more limited as has his offensive production.  He’ll still generate interest on the open market this summer but it’ll be as a bottom-six faceoff specialist, putting his possible price tag around half of what it is now.  Armia cleared waivers last year but has rebuilt some of his value since then as a double-digit scorer and penalty killer.  Matching this money might be tough to do but he could still get a multi-year deal somewhere close to that price point.

Evans, on the other hand, has seen his market value go up considerably this season.  He’s the most-used forward on the penalty kill in the NHL this season while he’s on the verge of setting new career highs offensively and should surpass the 30-point mark.  Given the high demand for centers, doubling this price tag is very realistic, if not a bit more.  Pezzetta, meanwhile, has been a frequent healthy scratch this year and played very limited minutes when he has played.  It’s hard to see him landing a raise; a drop to the league minimum seems more likely.

Savard has seen his playing time drop considerably this year as he has become more of a third-pairing option at five-on-five.  While he’ll still generate interest as a veteran who can kill penalties and provide some edge, it would be surprising to see him get this much on the open market this summer.  A two-year deal could still be doable, however, but it’s more likely to start with a two.

Primeau started the season as Montreal’s backup but lost the job at the holiday break.  However, he has played quite well in the minors since then and could get another look with the Canadiens over the next couple of months.  Owed a $1.068MM qualifying offer, he’s probably heading for non-tender territory unless the two sides can agree on a new deal before the end of June.

Signed Through 2025-26

F Kirby Dach ($3.363MM, RFA)
F Patrik Laine ($8.7MM, UFA)
D Mike Matheson ($4.875MM, UFA)
G Carey Price ($10.5MM, UFA)
D Arber Xhekaj ($1.3MM, RFA)

Columbus had to part with a second-rounder to offload Laine’s contract in full to Montreal (while receiving depth defender Jordan Harris in return).  He has been quite streaky in limited action since returning from a knee injury and certainly hasn’t rebuilt his value to the point where it could be suggested that he’s in line for an extension anywhere near this cost.  There’s a lot riding on how things go next year to see what type of contract he could realistically command.  Dach missed almost all of last season due to injury and hasn’t been able to show much this year.  Notably, he’ll be owed a $4MM qualifying offer with arbitration rights in the 2026 offseason but right now, his play likely doesn’t warrant that cost.  It wouldn’t be shocking if the two sides ultimately work out a short-term agreement before then, buying some more evaluation time.

Matheson had a breakout year last season, finishing in the top ten in scoring among all NHL defensemen.  Had that continued, he could have been eyeing a long-term deal with a raise of several million per year.  That hasn’t been the case, however, and with Hutson in the fold, Matheson’s offensive opportunities have dried up to a point.  Even so, he could plausibly command in the $7MM range on the open market in 2026.  Xhekaj took a bridge contract after having a limited role in his first couple of NHL seasons.  Not much has changed on that front so another shorter-term agreement appears likely at this point, one that should push past $2MM with arbitration rights.

Price hasn’t played since 2022 when he suited up five times down the stretch of that season and isn’t expected to play again.  Since then, he has been on LTIR.  Notably, his base salary for 2025-26 is just $2MM (with insurance covering a big part of that) so after his $5.5MM signing bonus is paid on July 1st this summer, it’s possible he’s flipped with another asset to a team with plenty of cap room to allow the Canadiens to exit LTIR.

Signed Through 2026-27

F Josh Anderson ($5.5MM, UFA)
D Alexandre Carrier ($3.75MM, UFA)
F Brendan Gallagher ($6.5MM, UFA)
G Sam Montembeault ($3.15MM, UFA)
F Alex Newhook ($2.9MM, RFA)

Gallagher has been a regular in Montreal’s lineup for 13 years now but his production and role have taken a dip the last few seasons.  While he was a 30-goal scorer a couple of times, his output is closer to 30 points now which is far from a good return on their investment.  If the Canadiens decide they need some extra cap room, he could be a buyout candidate.  Anderson is also underperforming relative to his contract.  He has become more of a checker this season compared to the past and has held his own in that role.  Still, someone in that role should be making a couple million less at least although his size and physicality will give him a stronger market in 2027.

Newhook had a good first season with Montreal, setting a new benchmark in points despite missing 27 games due to injury.  But things haven’t gone quite as well this season with his output cut in half.  Notably, unlike Dach, Newhook’s qualifying offer checks in at just $2.1MM (with arbitration rights) so even if his struggles continue for the next couple of years, it won’t be too risky to tender him in 2027.

Carrier was acquired earlier this season for Justin Barron with Montreal deciding that another veteran on the back end was needed.  He has fared better since the swap and has locked down a spot in their top four.  He likely would have ended up with a deal like this had he tested the market and not re-signed with Nashville last summer but barring an uptick in production, his next deal shouldn’t cost too much more than this.

Montembeault has come a long way from being a short-term waiver claim to cover until Price returns, moving from a backup role to a platoon piece to now Montreal’s starter.  He’s in that role while being at the price point of a platoon player.  His numbers have largely been mediocre but playing behind an inexperienced back end probably hasn’t helped.  Over the course of this deal, he needs to show if he can be a true number one.  Otherwise, he’s likely to stay closer to this price tag on his next contract.

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Management Has Spoken To Armia And Savard But Not Dvorak

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  • The Canadiens have had discussions with the agents of pending UFAs David Savard and Joel Armia, reports Guillaume Lefrancois of La Presse. Savard has been in trade speculation going back to last season with teams often looking to add size and grit on their back end for a playoff run and while his ice time is down this season (he has a 17:46 ATOI), there will be teams interested in him as a third-pairing piece if a new deal can’t be reached.  Armia, meanwhile, cleared waivers at the beginning of last season but bounced back to record 17 goals last year and is on pace to set a new career high in points this season while being one of the most-used forwards shorthanded league-wide.
  • One pending UFA in Montreal who hasn’t had discussions with the Canadiens about a new deal is center Christian Dvorak, relays Richard Labbe of La Presse. Dvorak has struggled offensively the past two years and has just 17 points in 56 games so far this season, hardly a great return on a $4.45MM price tag.  He’s winning over 57% of his faceoffs, however, which could draw some interest trade-wise as well.  Notably, Montreal only has one salary retention slot remaining to use between Dvorak, Savard, Armia, or even Jake Evans if the two sides can’t reach an agreement on an extension before March 7th.

Canadiens Activate, Reassign David Reinbacher

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The Canadiens have assigned top defense prospect David Reinbacher to AHL Laval, per a team announcement. Reinbacher had spent the first four and a half months of the season on the non-roster list after undergoing left knee surgery on Oct. 1 but will now get his campaign underway in the minors.

Reinbacher, 20, was selected fifth overall in the 2023 draft. He signed his entry-level contract a week later but was loaned back to Switzerland’s EHC Kloten for most of the 2023-24 regular season. This year was set to be his first full-time in North America, but a knee injury sustained in a preseason contest against the Maple Leafs trashed most of his campaign.

The 6’2″, 194-lb righty looked good to close out last season in Laval. He suited up 11 times down the stretch in the AHL after his Swiss National League season ended, scoring two goals and three assists with a plus-six rating. On a high note, he also began the 2024-25 campaign with two assists in three games for Austria at the final Olympic qualification tournament, although they didn’t make the cut.

Reinbacher exploded in his draft year, scoring 3-19–22 in 46 games with Kloten and earning a plus-seven rating, but a disastrous campaign for the club in 2023-24 saw his totals step back to 1-10–11 in 35 games and a -15 rating. The Canadiens and most others were willing to write that off as an outlier, especially considering his finish to the season after coming across the Atlantic.

There’s no roster math involved for the Habs with this move, as Reinbacher didn’t count toward their 23-player limit or the salary cap. He’ll now get a look at top-four usage in Laval before a potential late-season call-up to Montreal.

Joel Armia Will Play Tonight

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  • Speaking of Team Finland, the team’s forward grouping will look slightly different. Dan Rosen reported that Montreal Canadiens forward Joel Armia is replacing Chicago Blackhawks’ Teuvo Teräväinen in this afternoon’s lineup. Teräväinen has gone scoreless throughout the tournament averaging approximately 8:30 of ice time per game.

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