Evans signs 4-year, $11.4 million contract with Canadiens

Jake Evans signed a four-year, $11.4 million contract with the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday. The contract begins next season and has an average annual value of $2.85 million.

The 28-year-old center is in last of a three-year, $5.1 million contract ($1.7 million AAV) he signed Oct. 3, 2021. Evans could have become an unrestricted free agent July 1.

Evans has 28 points (12 goals, 16 assists) this season in 61 games, one point shy of the career-high 29 (13 goals, 16 assists) he had in 72 games with Montreal in 2021-22. He averages 2:52 of short-handed ice time per game, second among NHL forwards behind Jordan Greenway of the Buffalo Sabres (2:57).

A seventh-round pick (No. 207) by the Canadiens at the 2014 NHL Draft, Evans has 120 points (39 goals, 81 assists) in 329 regular-season games and three points (one goal, two assists) in 13 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

The Canadiens (30-26-5) have won five in a row and visit the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday (9 p.m. ET; RDS, TSN2, SNW).