Montreal Canadiens Role Profiles: Jake Evans

As we get into the dog days of summer and until training camp, thesickpodcast.com will profile Montreal Canadiens players based on their expected role for the 2026-27 NHL season.

Forward Jake Evans has really proven to be a reliable bottom-six centre for the Montreal Canadiens ever since entering the NHL in a full-time role towards the end of the 2019-20 season. The 2026-27 season should be no different, with Evans expected to be a very key part of the Canadiens’ penalty kill. 

However, with the team only getting younger thanks to the departure of long-time Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher to the Vancouver Canucks earlier this summer, the 30-year-old Evans may be counted on to provide more leadership for the younger players on the team. As one of the only four players 30 years old or above on the Canadiens, Evans will relied upon to help players like Owen Beck, who plays a similar game to his, have a smoother transition into becoming a full-time NHL player. 

Where Evans will earn a lot of his money will be in the faceoff circle, as he has consistently won around 52% for much of his career. However, last season, he won a career-best 55.9% of his faceoffs, which surpassed his previous high of 52.9%. If he can continue to win around 55% of his draws, it will only be better for the Canadiens when they are on the penalty kill or trying to hold onto a late lead. While Phillip Danault is the top faceoff man on the Canadiens, Evans is a very close second, which makes it only harder for opponents to gain possession off a draw.

While Evans is more recognized as a primarily shutdown forward who plays big minutes on the penalty kill, the truth is that his offensive game is quite underrated, as he can put up a solid 15 goals and 30-35 points over a full, healthy season. This type of production works well for a centre on a third line in today’s NHL, although the ideal situation would be that he plays as the team’s fourth line centre.

With Danault’s contract coming to an end after the 2026-27 season, as well as Montreal Canadiens top prospect Michael Hage coming in at the end of the year, Evans will probably be the fourth-line centre moving forward, but it’s good that he has the skills to play up in the lineup if needed. 

This was proven by his playoff performance as the second-line centre in place of a struggling Oliver Kapanen. Evans clicked especially well with Alex Newhook as the duo connected on numerous occasions for big goals. The Canadiens centre managed to score two goals and eight assists for 10 points in 19 playoff games, playing the majority of the postseason with Newhook and Ivan Demidov. 

Hopefully, he won’t have to play on the second line again this season, as he’s better suited to be in a defensive role, but the fact that he can play there helps the Canadiens a lot in case injuries plague the team. 

https://twitter.com/GinoHard_/status/2052905912847810767

There is still time to add a player to the Montreal Canadiens before training camp starts in a little less than a month; if they do add one, it could allow Evans to get Newhook on his wing to start the season, as their chemistry in the playoffs cannot be ignored. The ideal situation for the 2026-27 season regarding Evans’ place in the lineup would be that he could centre the Canadiens’ third line while having Newhook on his wing. It remains to be seen what happens during training camp, but given that Evans and Newhook have so much chemistry together, they’re a potential duo that the Canadiens should consider starting the season with. 

The expectations on Evans this upcoming season should be that he continues to play as a solid third-line centre who will potentially have Newhook by his side. Evans should be heavily relied upon to win important faceoffs on the right side of the ice while being a great shutdown guy for the Montreal Canadiens. As for the offence, it isn’t a stretch to expect 12-15 goals alongside 30-35 points over a full extended 84-game schedule.

What are your expectations for Jake Evans during the 2026-27 season?

Check out Friday’s Montreal Canadiens Role Profile on defenseman David Reinbacher.