Canadiens: Evans' Market Value

There's never a dull moment around the Montreal Canadiens and lately, Jake Evans has been the talk of the town. The 28-year-old is on an expiring contract and is having the best year of his career so far, meaning the Habs need to decide what to do with the pending unrestricted free agent.

If TVA Sports' insider Renaud Lavoie believes it's only a matter of time before the Canadiens put pen to paper with Evans, Marco D'Amico reports on RG.org that an Easter Conference source told him Evans might just be pricing himself out of town.

The pivot's performances will allow him to command a better salary, but they've also made his stock rise on the trade market. A pro scout told D'Amico he believes Evans could even be worth a first-round pick.

This puts Kent Hughes in front of a tough choice. Retain the asset and sign him to a team friendly deal or trade him to a contender at the deadline and pocket another asset for the future. The choice is even harder now the Canadiens find themselves in the mix. Evans is not surplus to requirements, he plays a valuable role in Montreal and if you trade him, what kind of message are you sending to the guys in the dressing room who are starting to believe in themselves?

You've told them you hoped to see they play meaningful hockey for longer this season and yet you'll deprive them of a player who has been a key cog in their success? Just like last year with David Savard, Hughes will need to weigh his options. How is Evans most valuable to the team? As a trade chip who can potentially score a first round pick or as a member of a team that's starting to win with regularity and relies on him big time?

If Savard's big brother role was too important last season to trade, Evans' contribution this season has been just as important. Trading him would send the wrong message to the room, unless of course it's impossible to reach an agreement on the terms of a new contract because he's asking for the moon.

The trade deadline is on March 7 this season and until then, Hughes is going to be a very busy man with complex issues to handle. Evans' case is just one of the many he needs to solve before the trade market is closed for business.

Tomorrow, Hughes will meet the press at 11:30 for his middle of the year assessment and you can expect a few questions about the likes of Evans, Joel Armia and David Savard.

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