Prospect Info: Jake Evans

[Habs 4 Life]

if the season is lost, he might as well be on the 3rd line, if that's what it takes to make sure he signs.

Couldn't agree more. Sign him to a contract and let him play the rest of the season here to entice him

 

[Habs Icing]

I completely agree. Get it done.

Truth of the matter is I'd be shocked if he didnt' sign here. Montreal has shown him love the entire time, we drafted him, showed interest and kept in constant touch with him. Add the fact that where else can a centre be more appreciated and have a better shot at cracking the lineup than in Montreal. You competition is effectively Danault and Drouin (who isn't a centre). If you can't make it at centre in Montreal, you're not going to make it anywhere.

Maybe he looks at this management staff's record and decides screw this I don't want to play wing.

 

[Sterling Archer]

Maybe he looks at this management staff's record and decides screw this I don't want to play wing.

He's always played centre though. I don't see how he's not given EVER opportunity to play his natural position by this management team. Besides, Lingren signed here because Bergevin promised him NHL games to burn his first year. Bergevin tells the coaching staff what to do. So if he tells Evans he'll play centre, he can compel his coaches to make it so at least for a few games to end the year, whether it's on the 3rd or 4th line or top 2!

 

[WeThreeKings]

To be fair.. our team is so offensively anemic that you could put Evans on any line and there could be an argument it's our "top" line.

 

[cphabs]

What is the incentive for an NHL team to draft a NCAA player?

I can't speak for other teams in the NHL, but in our case? The Montreal Canadians? There is a possibility that they (NCAA players) may learn how to play ice hockey, mature, and develop without having to say "coach Lefebvre"...

 

[Tyson]

Is he NHL material or simply a good NCAA player? 7th rounders rarely pan out

 

[montreal]

Is he NHL material or simply a good NCAA player? 7th rounders rarely pan out

He's got the smarts and playmaking abilities to be in the NHL, he lacks strength and isn't overly fast. I do think he can play in the NHL but we'll have to wait and see. The thing that interests me the most is how much he's improved every year since being drafted. Unlike former NCAA picks of ours that did well like Kristo, or lesser guys like David Fischer, they failed to improve that much from their 1st or 2nd NCAA seasons. Evans has gotten better and better each year and that's a very good sign. That said the question becomes can he continue to improve or not.

 

[llamateizer]

Jack Evans just ended his university formation

Jake Evans sera-t-il fidèle au Canadien?
starts at 20 min

 

[Adam Michaels]

Jack Evans just ended his university formation

Jake Evans sera-t-il fidèle au Canadien?
starts at 20 min

Thanks for that! Good little interview.

 

[bleuetbio]

Question is, what we wait to sign him and gives him NHL minutes?

 

[417]

Question is, what we wait to sign him and gives him NHL minutes?

He's not done school

 

[bleuetbio]

He's not done school

Oh... yeah! Thats a good reason lol

 

[417]

Oh... yeah! Thats a good reason lol

Also conference tournaments left to play as well

 

[Adam Michaels]

If Notre Dame make it all the way to the end of the playoffs, the Finals are on April 7th, the same night Habs play their final regular season game. So if he signs with Habs on April 8th, all he can do is play Laval's final two regular season games.

If Notre Dame is eliminated earlier (as it's single elimination), then Habs can sign him sooner and he can play some Habs games and Laval games.

But he cannot be signed before his NCAA season is over, as college hockey doesn't allow players with professional contracts. It's strictly an amateur league.

 

[Tighthead]

If Notre Dame make it all the way to the end of the playoffs, the Finals are on April 7th, the same night Habs play their final regular season game. So if he signs with Habs on April 8th, all he can do is play Laval's final two regular season games.

If Notre Dame is eliminated earlier (as it's single elimination), then Habs can sign him sooner and he can play some Habs games and Laval games.

But he cannot be signed before his NCAA season is over, as college hockey doesn't allow players with professional contracts. It's strictly an amateur league.

If he dropped out they could sign him, correct? It’s not prohibited by the CBA, it just voids his NCAA status?

I can’t recall players doing so but I’m sure it has happened. Obviously it would make him persona non grata at ND.

 

[PsychoticHab]

If he dropped out they could sign him, correct? It’s not prohibited by the CBA, it just voids his NCAA status?

I can’t recall players doing so but I’m sure it has happened. Obviously it would make him persona non grata at ND.

Could it be done? Sure...but Evans is the captain of the Notre Dame hockey team and there has never been question of his character so it is a safe bet he finishes his time at ND. There's a tiny chance he gets a game or 2 in MTL this year (I can't see ND winning the Frozen Four) but there's an even better chance he plays a few games in Laval. Of course, he could choose to blow off the team but, with a team so desperate for centers, I would imagine he likes his chances to carve himself a spot in this organization for years to come.

 

[schnapshot]

Don’t want to sound negative, but he looks like a future bottom 6 center.

Good on faceoffs but lack of speed and an average shot...

Folks here (including me) were wowed by his early season stats, where we thought he would get about 55-60 pts in 40 games, but in the end he finished with about the same PPG as last year.

Still good for a 7th rounder but I doubt he becomes a top 6 player for us. I’ll be glad to eat crow though!

 

[Whitesnake]

Don’t want to sound negative, but he looks like a future bottom 6 center.

Good on faceoffs but lack of speed and an average shot...

Folks here (including me) were wowed by his early season stats, where we thought he would get about 55-60 pts in 40 games, but in the end he finished with about the same PPG as last year.

Still good for a 7th rounder but I doubt he becomes a top 6 player for us. I’ll be glad to eat crow though!

It's a great 7th round pick. Worth the pick by a mile. But yeah...people will have to be really careful in assessing where he is going to end up as far as potential is concerned. So many things to work on. Even before he succeeds in the AHL.

He's got the smarts and playmaking abilities to be in the NHL, he lacks strength and isn't overly fast. I do think he can play in the NHL but we'll have to wait and see. The thing that interests me the most is how much he's improved every year since being drafted. Unlike former NCAA picks of ours that did well like Kristo, or lesser guys like David Fischer, they failed to improve that much from their 1st or 2nd NCAA seasons. Evans has gotten better and better each year and that's a very good sign. That said the question becomes can he continue to improve or not.

Evans improved his numbers. Kristo improved his overall play while continuing to put points on the board. Kristo is the guy I've probably seen the most outside the Q. And he was a defensive nightmare in his first year and improved so much after that. BUt Kristo was always so sure of himself offensively. Which was not Evans case. I think he doubted himself offensively and then started to believe in himself and kinda exploded. But I'M not sure how much he improved in the other spheres of his games. And the strength and the speed is a BIG problem right now. He needs to work on that to succeed even at the AHL level. I want him signed. But it will take 2 to 3 years for sure.

 

[montreal]

Don’t want to sound negative, but he looks like a future bottom 6 center.

Good on faceoffs but lack of speed and an average shot...

Folks here (including me) were wowed by his early season stats, where we thought he would get about 55-60 pts in 40 games, but in the end he finished with about the same PPG as last year.

Still good for a 7th rounder but I doubt he becomes a top 6 player for us. I’ll be glad to eat crow though!

That's not negative at all. I like Evans a lot but saw him as more of a 3rd line center. He's not finished yet though as NCAA counts playoff and Frozen Four games the same as regular season. Missing time to the Spengler cup hurt but he's smart, solid two way player that's great on draws so hopefully he does well for us.

Evans improved his numbers. Kristo improved his overall play while continuing to put points on the board. Kristo is the guy I've probably seen the most outside the Q. And he was a defensive nightmare in his first year and improved so much after that. BUt Kristo was always so sure of himself offensively. Which was not Evans case. I think he doubted himself offensively and then started to believe in himself and kinda exploded. But I'M not sure how much he improved in the other spheres of his games. And the strength and the speed is a BIG problem right now. He needs to work on that to succeed even at the AHL level. I want him signed. But it will take 2 to 3 years for sure.

Very different players that I have seen a ton of both of for all 4 years. Kristo was all speed and shot mostly but he was a 1st line player right out the gate as he ripped it up his Freshman year but it's not fair to compare as he came from the USNDTP and was 19 whereas Evans was a true Freshman and on a weaker team. Evans game has shown very good progress every year, Kristo was really good from the start and his Senior year his line was by far the best in the NCAA but I had some contacts back then and they didn't have good things to say bout him off the ice and clearly the Habs felt there was an issue. Granted I don't know what Evans is like but at least he hasn't been suspended twice for off-ice issues.

 

[Adam Michaels]

Even if he ends up a 4C, that would be a hell of a pick for a 7th rounder.

 

[David Suzuki]

Even if he ends up a 4C, that would be a hell of a pick for a 7th rounder.

if he is a legit 4C then that makes him our second best centre!

 

[Habs Halifax]

if he is a legit 4C then that makes him our second best centre!

DLR, McCarron, Vejdemo, Evans.... One of these kids has to turn into a 4th line center at worse for us right?

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

Would be nice if he is able to play a couple of nhl games by the end of the season to see if hes ready for a 3rd line center role next year

 

[Tyson]

Would be nice if he is able to play a couple of nhl games by the end of the season to see if hes ready for a 3rd line center role next year

I have only seen him 3 times so I am not sure what I see when it comes to this player. He does not possess electrifying skills or superior skating. He has developed pretty well but I am not sure it translates to NHL success.

 

[montreal]

I have only seen him 3 times so I am not sure what I see when it comes to this player. He does not possess electrifying skills or superior skating. He has developed pretty well but I am not sure it translates to NHL success.

the past few years he's been either in the top 2 or 3 in face-offs in the NCAA so he's very good on draws. He's got smarts, he works hard, solid at both ends of the ice. He's a good playmaker. His problems are he lacks strength, he needs to get quicker as well, fill out him frame more. It's going to be very interesting to see how he does in Laval.