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Jake Evans: hearing him talk in the past is a big clue
Charles-Alexis Brisebois
Jake Evans: hearing him talk in the past is a big clue
Credit: Getty Images
For the past few months, the Jake Evans situation has been quite straightforward. People thought that the center player, who loves the Canadiens, would find a way to come to an agreement with his bosses, who appreciate his contributions on the ice, to stay in the city.

It seemed relatively simple.

But after hearing Pierre LeBrun say that there is a significant gap in salary negotiations and after hearing Evans talk about the Canadiens in the past tense after yesterday’s game, panic has set in.

But here’s what needs to be understood. In life, not everything is black and white: there are shades of gray.

What this means is that the situation was probably not as positive as it has been in recent weeks, but it is not as negative as it seems after 24 hours.

Be careful: I’m not saying that everything that happened yesterday is meaningless. After all, seeing Evans refer to the Canadiens in the past tense, at the start of a long break and just weeks before the deadline, is not positive.

But even if it’s a strong hint and we shouldn’t ignore such indications, it doesn’t tell the whole story.

Why do I say that? Because you have to understand that negotiating a bit in public to put pressure on the other side can also be a negotiation tactic.

This can create a sense of urgency (and we understand that it will take some urgency to come to an agreement by March 7) in the negotiations.

From the Canadiens’ perspective, it can also create a sense of urgency in the trade market. Some teams may think that it’s possible to see Evans traded and that making a good offer to the Habs might actually lead to a transaction.

So even if Evans’ and LeBrun’s comments are clues about how the situation is unfolding, it could very well become a starting point towards a resolution in the negotiations.

But for that to happen, everyone will need to compromise so that Evans, who wants to stay, signs a contract soon.

Let’s also note that according to what Renaud Lavoie said this morning on BPM Sports, it makes a lot of sense to believe that the sticking point in discussions is in terms of years and not the amount per season.


In Brief

– No surprises here.

– Interesting.

– Wow.

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