Prospect Info: Jake Evans

[lamp9post]

At the same age, Danault put up 40 points playing with Pacioretty and Radulov mostly. If he were playing with normal linemates like Byron and Lehkonen, he'd probably put up around 20-30 points. Pro rate that to 56 game season and you get between 15-20 points. That's what I'm expecting from Evans this year. Obviously I'm also looking at his defensive and transition game, his proficiency on the PK as well as his faceoff numbers.

Point production would be a bonus, but let's be honest - he's firmly entrenched as the #4 and won't be getting much (if any) pp time or offensive zone starts. I agree with your last sentence; these are the areas that will dictate his value to the team this year.

 

[Schwang]

If Suzuki, Romanov, Kotkaniemi all look good this year, I'm a believer. We have lots of pieces to use if a guy like PLD actually gets traded and we want him. We didn't have that option back when. Decent mix of young guys with key vets with a solid prospect pool with lots of picks to come.

Direction is positive but undetermined how that will translate. Do we loose in the 2nd round at best or can this core be a final 4 threat? We lack high end offensive starts so not sure.

Evans is solid bottom 6 asset

It is still wait and see. Teams have won before with a balanced attack, and I'm very encouraged by this depth. And its not like the Lafs have won anything with high end talent. Heck, they may have to trade one of their high end guys.

 

[26Mats]

Congrats to Jake Evan's for officially making his first NHL squad out of training camp.

Must be a great feeling - and going on the road to play the first game of the season in his hometown.

 

[26Mats]

Point production would be a bonus, but let's be honest - he's firmly entrenched as the #4 and won't be getting much (if any) pp time or offensive zone starts. I agree with your last sentence; these are the areas that will dictate his value to the team this year.

No one has really produced with Byron and Lehkonen as their wingers. Not Domi, not KK, and bot even Suzuki. Though Byron-Danault-Lehkonen I've always found a thing of beauty for how well they control the ice.

But if Evan's can produce with these two - from the 4th line - would be amazing to see, like Jesus walking on water.

On the bright side, if he doesn't produce he probably won't get claimed by Seattle.

 

[Mrb1p]

It is still wait and see. Teams have won before with a balanced attack, and I'm very encouraged by this depth. And its not like the Lafs have won anything with high end talent. Heck, they may have to trade one of their high end guys.

The leafs dont have high end talent, they have three good players up front and one good defender that isnt a number 1.

This argument makes no sense when the Caps, Pens, Bolts, Bruins, Wings, Hawks and Kings have dominated the last decade with mega stacked top lines/pairs and very little depth.

 

[Mrb1p]

No one has really produced with Byron and Lehkonen as their wingers. Not Domi, not KK, and bot even Suzuki. Though Byron-Danault-Lehkonen I've always found a thing of beauty for how well they control the ice.

But if Evan's can produce with these two - from the 4th line - would be amazing to see, like Jesus walking on water.

On the bright side, if he doesn't produce he probably won't get claimed by Seattle.

Evans is a cerebral player, like KK, Suzuki and Domi, he will not produce with these two, Danault should really be with them, as they all play dumb hockey and are actually good at it.

 

[HuGo Burner Acc]

Evans is a cerebral player, like KK, Suzuki and Domi, he will not produce with these two, Danault should really be with them, as they all play dumb hockey and are actually good at it.

Dumb hockey? Their IQ is off the charts. People like you and most basketball fans pretend defence isn't a thing and offensive generation is 99% of the game

 

[Mrb1p]

Dumb hockey? Their IQ is off the charts. People like you and most basketball fans pretend defence isn't a thing and offensive generation is 99% of the game

No, their IQ isnt off the charts, theyre just decent system players, and yeah defense is pretty much nothing and offensive generation is everything.

Just watch Patrick Kane play and youll understand.

 

[HuGo Burner Acc]

No, their IQ isnt off the charts, theyre just decent system players, and yeah defense is pretty much nothing and offensive generation is everything.

Just watch Patrick Kane play and youll understand.

Just watch Patrice Bergeron and you'll understand

 

[Habs Halifax]

It is still wait and see. Teams have won before with a balanced attack, and I'm very encouraged by this depth. And its not like the Lafs have won anything with high end talent. Heck, they may have to trade one of their high end guys.

I agree for the most part but if we are to become a top 5 team (it's a stretch), we need a better PP cause that is where the top teams break a tight game open. Beyond that, I like our depth chart today and what it could look like moving forward

 

[Schwang]

The leafs dont have high end talent, they have three good players up front and one good defender that isnt a number 1.

This argument makes no sense when the Caps, Pens, Bolts, Bruins, Wings, Hawks and Kings have dominated the last decade with mega stacked top lines/pairs and very little depth.

Matthew's, Tavares , Marner aren't high end? I think those 3 would match up against anyone on Boston, Detroit, Chicago.
And I meant historically, teams have had success (maybe not cups). Carolina, most recently St Louis. And, Detroit has dominated in the last decade???? A cup 12 years ago isn't dominating.

 

[Mrb1p]

Just watch Patrice Bergeron and you'll understand

Patrice Bergeron is a hall of famer that is highly skilled and with offensive awarness thats so far from these three players, you could combine them and it still wouldn't be close.

Wtf is that?

Matthew's, Tavares , Marner aren't high end? I think those 3 would match up against anyone on Boston, Detroit, Chicago.
And I meant historically, teams have had success (maybe not cups). Carolina, most recently St Louis. And, Detroit has dominated in the last decade???? A cup 12 years ago isn't dominating.

Matthews, Tavares and Marner vs
Kane, Toews, Hossa, Keith
Kopitar, Carter, Doughty
Bergeron, Krejci, Marchand, Chara


yeah, no.

 

[HuGo Burner Acc]

Patrice Bergeron is a hall of famer that is highly skilled and with offensive awarness thats so far from these three players, you could combine them and it still wouldn't be close.

Wtf is that?

My point was pure offense vs understanding the totality of the game. Patrice has never been a PPG player and during his prime 25-32, never cracked 70 points. Recently he put up great offensive numbers because of his elite wingers.

An understanding of all dimensions of the game like Bergeron or Danault (who just has less offensive skill than Bergeron but has good instincts) is much more impressive than a Patrick Kane. Two way players are so much more valuable than one dimensional players. Hockey is a game of mistakes especially in the playoffs where offence is basically only generated in defensive lapses and rarely generated through pure offensive will so yes the defensive side of hockey is much more important than the offensive.

Therefore if a player is great offensively and piss poor defensively he either is an ineffective player or has to be sheltered and micro-managed/matched up correctly in order to succeed.

 

[Mrb1p]

What the f***

 

[Tyson]

Man has this kid improved since being drafted. Bouchard deserves some accolades for his development. Hopefully Poehling follows suit

 

[angusyoung]

I am waiting Evans challanges Danault spot as 3nd center.

After seeing him play against TO,he has to be able to do much much more to stay in the lineup,very underwhelming,invisible. Have to wonder how long of a lease he gets before Poehling gets a crack. Another performance like the last one and people will be clamoring for the return of the wheel.

 

[26Mats]

After seeing him play against TO,he has to be able to do much much more to stay in the lineup,very underwhelming,invisible. Have to wonder how long of a lease he gets before Poehling gets a crack. Another performance like the last one and people will be clamoring for the return of the wheel.

I wouldn't mind trying Evans the 3rd ling wing spot with TT and KK, and giving someone else a shot at 4c (Frolik? Byron? Poehlong?) It takes a lot to play center at the NHL level. Let him start off on the wing.

I see Evan's as potentially having more offensive upside than Lehkonen, Armia, or Byron, plus he's also sound defensively from the wing position.

 

[salbutera]

After seeing him play against TO,he has to be able to do much much more to stay in the lineup,very underwhelming,invisible. Have to wonder how long of a lease he gets before Poehling gets a crack. Another performance like the last one and people will be clamoring for the return of the wheel.

He was fine on the PK, faceoff will take time. Need to live through these growing pains - and the depth of the Habs will allow them to live through it with proper management of TOI on the road. At home Julien has the luxury of favorable matchups.

It’s why moving Armia to 4th line RW would also help protect Evans with that big bodied presence.

 

[Archijerej]

Re-watching the game right now. In the first period alone the Leafs had two scoring chances, including Nylander's goal, off Evans' lost faceoffs in the defensive zone. He also failed to identify his check on a Leafs counterattack, ended up positioned in the same spot as Lehkonen, covering nobody. The Leafs were able to isolate Edmundson in front of the net in a 3 vs. 1 situation. Luckily, Edmundson broke up a cross crease pass with his stick.

Those are the kind of things that will determine if he's going to be a regular NHL player.

 

[angusyoung]

He was fine on the PK, faceoff will take time. Need to live through these growing pains - and the depth of the Habs will allow them to live through it with proper management of TOI on the road. At home Julien has the luxury of favorable matchups.

It’s why moving Armia to 4th line RW would also help protect Evans with that big bodied presence.

It's an abbreviated season and just not sure how long he can go if things don't amp up sooner than later.
Armia with him on the 4th would probably work better. Difficult to imagine that there are no better options for 4th c at the moment though.

 

[angusyoung]

I wouldn't mind trying Evans the 3rd ling wing spot with TT and KK, and giving someone else a shot at 4c (Frolik? Byron? Poehlong?) It takes a lot to play center at the NHL level. Let him start off on the wing.

I see Evan's as potentially having more offensive upside than Lehkonen, Armia, or Byron, plus he's also sound defensively from the wing position.

Really? maybe you see it. He looked lost out there,needs more time in the A imho.

 

[26Mats]

Really? maybe you see it. He looked lost out there,needs more time in the A imho.

I think it's easier to ease into the NHL on the wing than at center.

I don't know why we didn't sign Derrick Brassard.

 

[lamp9post]

I wouldn't mind trying Evans the 3rd ling wing spot with TT and KK, and giving someone else a shot at 4c (Frolik? Byron? Poehlong?) It takes a lot to play center at the NHL level. Let him start off on the wing.

I see Evan's as potentially having more offensive upside than Lehkonen, Armia, or Byron, plus he's also sound defensively from the wing position.

After his game last night, your suggestion is to promote him? What we need from him is to be a reliable C that can win a fair share of faceoffs and ideally eat some PK minutes. We don't need him to change positions on the blind hope that he'll outscore Lehk, Armia, or Byron from the wing (which is far easier said than done, by the way).

He was fine on the PK, faceoff will take time. Need to live through these growing pains - and the depth of the Habs will allow them to live through it with proper management of TOI on the road. At home Julien has the luxury of favorable matchups.

It’s why moving Armia to 4th line RW would also help protect Evans with that big bodied presence.

Hard disagree on that. He was completely ineffective on the PK. He needs to do a much better job covering passing lanes. I agree that we need to live through the growing pains, but in a compressed season like this I'm not sure how long a leash they'll give him. We already saw the consequences of this in game 1 where we had to overplay Danault by giving him extra shifts in place of Evans on the 4th line.

Re-watching the game right now. In the first period alone the Leafs had two scoring chances, including Nylander's goal, off Evans' lost faceoffs in the defensive zone. He also failed to identify his check on a Leafs counterattack, ended up positioned in the same spot as Lehkonen, covering nobody. The Leafs were able to isolate Edmundson in front of the net in a 3 vs. 1 situation. Luckily, Edmundson broke up a cross crease pass with his stick.

Those are the kind of things that will determine if he's going to be a regular NHL player.

Totally agree! I'm rooting for Evans and hope he can continue to develop and become a reliable player for us.

 

[Deebs]

If Jake doesn't get better at faceoffs soon, somebody else will need to take his place for the time being.

 

[26Mats]

After his game last night, your suggestion is to promote him? What we need from him is to be a reliable C that can win a fair share of faceoffs and ideally eat some PK minutes. We don't need him to change positions on the blind hope that he'll outscore Lehk, Armia, or Byron from the wing (which is far easier said than done, by the way).



Hard disagree on that. He was completely ineffective on the PK. He needs to do a much better job covering passing lanes. I agree that we need to live through the growing pains, but in a compressed season like this I'm not sure how long a leash they'll give him. We already saw the consequences of this in game 1 where we had to overplay Danault by giving him extra shifts in place of Evans on the 4th line.



Totally agree! I'm rooting for Evans and hope he can continue to develop and become a reliable player for us.

I was suggesting this before the season. I have little faith in any one of Lehkonen, Byron, or Armia with TT and KK. Hope one of them can step up and prove me wrong...

As for Evan's, I also think it's easier to ease into the NHL on the wing than at C.