Fantasy Summary
Evans has a pretty big distance between his ceiling and floor. At best, he could be a top-six forward; 40+ points and an all-around contributor. At worst, (aside from not making the NHL) he will be a fourth line center who can chip in a bit offensively (20-30 point range) by working hard down low.
Observations
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September 2021 – A solid rookie season allowed Evans to emerge as a strong fourth-line center who is responsible defensively and can chip with a bit of offense. In the playoffs, Evans continued his upwards trajectory in the playoffs playing more minutes than he is used to going from 11:50 in the regular season to 15:32 a game during the playoffs. This was only through the span of ten games as in game one of the second round Evans was concussed after taking a hit to the head from Jets Forward Mark Scheifele. Evans returned in the finals for three games in a losing cause. Evans will be a staple in the Canadiens bottom six this upcoming season and will be the club’s front runner for the third line center spot heading into training camp. Pablo Ruiz
August 2020 – Evans managed to get into 6 of Montreal’s 10 postseason games this season despite playing in only 13 regular season games. These games were earned by Evans as the Canadiens did not have an influx of injuries. His blue collar hard working style was something that was missing from the Canadiens fourth line. Evans only finished with one assist, and was out scored three to one when he was on the ice. However, he still showed enough tenacity on the forecheck and overall effort that he will be in the conversation to start next season as the Canadien’s fourth line center. Pablo Ruiz
July 2020 – Jake Evans was apart of the 33-man training camp roster that the Canadiens released on July 12th. Evans will be used as a depth forward and likely only get game time if an injury occurs. Pablo Ruiz
January 2018 – A great example of development, the fourth to last pick in the entire 2014 NHL Entry Draft didn’t let any labels define him. Jake Evans; no stranger to pressure and expectations at an early age growing up in the minor hockey hotbed that is the GTA, stayed the course, believed in himself and worked hard to be where he is today. Taking the NCAA route as a big city Canadian kid isn’t always the easiest decision for players to make, as the local and immediate stardom of the CHL is tempting. But, Evans decided to go to Notre-Dame after a pair of terrific Jr. A seasons for the St-Michael Buzzers.
Four years later, Evans is attempting to secure his second consecutive point-per-game season (29 points in 24 games) and sports the “C” for the Fighting Irish hockey team. His performance earned him the respect of some of hockey’s greatest minds, receiving an invitation to compete for Team Canada at the Spengler Cup. While Evans may not have marked the score-sheet in four games, he did come back a champion. That amplified pace and unexpected experience will benefit Evans in the long-run; especially when he turns pro.
Evans is a good skater with above-average agility and quickness), has good vision, and has a good motor. Though he stands at just 6-0 185 lbs, he is a tenacious player on the puck. He works hard on the forecheck and makes smart decisions to put teammates into scoring positions. He can bury a puck from in tight but isn’t much of a goal-scorer and his plus-45 career rating (to date) exemplifies the 200-foot effort he puts in every night.
These skills will give Evans the opportunity to compete for a spot in Montreal as soon as the 2018-19 season. His four years at Notre-Dame make him more pro-ready than most rookies, but making the Habs out of camp would be more surprising than not. – Mike Barrett
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