Jake Evans was the Montreal Canadiens’ seventh-round choose, chosen at 207th general in 2014. He performed 4 full seasons within the Nationwide Collegiate Athletic Affiliation (NCAA) as a member of the College of Notre Dame hockey membership, spending his final season as captain. Now, he has reached the 100-point mark within the NHL. Recognized as a participant to observe this season by The Hockey Writers, he has been one of many vibrant spots for the Canadiens. Solely three gamers had been drafted behind Jake Evans within the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, but he sits thirty ninth in factors from that very same draft class.
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It isn’t like a participant reaching the 1,000-point milestone like Conor McDavid, however for a former seventh-round choose to develop into an NHL common, and one that may produce offensively, it’s important. Evans was lastly capable of attain this 100-point milestone in opposition to the Columbus Blue Jackets, on the Bell Centre, on a traditional Hockey Night time in Canada matchup on a Saturday evening (Nov. 16) in his 286th NHL recreation.
Montreal’s points with centre depth have meant that Evans, who started the season on Montreal’s fourth line, has been moved as much as the function of the second-line centre. He has made probably the most of his alternative centring the Canadiens’ second line between Cole Caufield and Alex Newhook. On this evening, Evans had the third-highest ice time amongst Montreal’s forwards.
The Toronto native now has three objectives this season, which is sort of midway to his whole of seven objectives he scored over a full 82-game 2023-24 season. That season, it took him 53 video games to attain his third aim, excess of the 18 video games it took him to perform the feat this season. This 100th level got here on a particular evening, when Evans’ former teammate, Shea Weber, was being added to Montreal’s Ring of Honour, which is reserved for former Canadiens who’ve been inducted into the Hockey Corridor of Fame.
Evans’ milestone was reached by scoring a aim, his thirtieth in his NHL profession, on an ideal move from Caufield. The NHL’s main scorer poked the puck forward and into the Blue Jackets’ zone, out-hustled the defender to the puck, made a fast flip and threaded an ideal move, by way of visitors, onto the stick of a streaking Evans who solely needed to faucet it in to make it 4-1, placing the sport out of attain and permitting the Bell Centre trustworthy to go house completely satisfied.
The 28-year-old centre returned from a concussion in 2021-22, which he sustained within the playoffs after a unclean and predatory hit by Winnipeg Jets centre Mark Scheifele in the course of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs. That season, he reached profession highs in objectives (13) and factors (29). But this season, he’s on tempo to achieve a career-high 36 factors. That is useful for Evans, who’s searching for his subsequent contract as he’s within the remaining yr of a deal paying him a cap hit of $1.7 million.
He’s the kind of participant who Stanley Cup-competing groups love so as to add to their backside six. He offers his every thing each evening, is a really sturdy penalty-killer, and is a participant who can play it secure at 5-on-5, not often making a mistake or a foul play. Additionally, he may help present some offence. This, and his efficiency thus far this season has made him the goal of commerce rumors, however it’s not seeming to distract him from his function on the ice.
His subsequent milestone shall be his 300th NHL recreation, which, barring harm or being a scratch, he’ll obtain on Dec. 20 when the Canadiens go to the Detroit Pink Wings to kick off a weekend home-and-home collection.
