Following a statement win against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Montreal Canadiens forward Jake Evans voiced a very strong message to every team in the NHL.

Jake Evans scored the game-winning goal with 2:15 remaining in regulation to lift the Montreal Canadiens past the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 on Tuesday night.

The Montreal Canadiens face a difficult decision regarding forward Jake Evans, with conflicting reports adding intrigue to his future ahead of the March 7 trade deadline. NHL insider Pierre LeBrun revealed Wednesday that Montreal is interested in keeping Evans but isn’t committing to a long-term deal,

Since the beginning of the season, we have been singing the praises of Jake Evans. And for good reason. Clearly, the center player for the Canadiens has chosen the right season (a few months before full autonomy) to reach another level as a player for the Canadiens.

At 28 years old, Jake Evans is having the best season of his career. He is on pace for over 45 points, and it is also the last year of his contract with the Canadiens. Now, Kent Hughes has to make an important decision regarding his center.

Let’s talk about the trade market. The Jake Evans file is probably the most important for Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton. After all, he is the best player of the CH this season among the unrestricted free agents of the club for the summer of 2025.

Evans produced an assist in Sunday's 5-4 overtime win over the Rangers.

Montreal Canadiens forward Jake Evans is in an excellent position from a career standpoint. Not only is he a versatile, hard-working centre, he’s also in the midst of his most productive season, quite the blessing for an impending free agent.

The NHL’s cancellation of escrow for the remainder of the season, coupled with record profits projected to hit $6-7 billion, could force the Montreal Canadiens to rethink their offseason strategy.

It doesn’t really matter that Josh Anderson only has eight goals and 18 points through 47 games, because his impact on the Canadiens’ success has been far more evident than these offensive categories would suggest.

And then there was the play of goalie Sam Montembeault. Montembeault denied numerous Grade-A scoring chances to keep the Lightning stuck at two goals. In the third period alone, he stopped 14 shots. His play neutralized the Lightning’s territorial edge.