Canadiens Practice Notes: Jake Evans Receives Promotion

Montreal Canadiens head coach Martin St-Louis returned to the drawing board on Monday morning, modifying his forward lineup as the team took to the ice for practice.

The Habs didn’t play particularly poorly in Saturday’s loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, but once again they were outshot and outchanced at 5v5, which means there’s certainly ample room for improvements.

First Line: Cole Caufield – Nick Suzuki – Kirby Dach

Seeing as he’s genuinely had a hard time finding his rhythm when playing as a centre on the second line, Kirby Dach has once again been promoted to the top line, alongside sniper Cole Caufield and captain Nick Suzuki. They’ve spent a little over 40 minutes together at 5v5 this season, and during that time they controlled over 55 percent of the expected goals, and almost 54 percent of the shots.

Considering the Canadiens are dead last in expected goals (41.4 percent) and are the second-worst team in shot share (42.7 percent), the impact made by the trio is very difficult to ignore.

Nick Suzuki to Lane Hutson to Kirby Dach, who opens the scoring for the Habs with the goalie pulled. #GoHabsGo

Very nice pass by Hutson to set it up. pic.twitter.com/15Kys4Ce69

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) September 29, 2024

Second Line: Alex Newhook – Jake Evans – Juraj Slafkovsky

With Dach returning to the top line, centre Jake Evans took his place as the second-line anchor, with Juraj Slafkovsky and Alex Newhook flanking him. You would be hard-pressed to suggest Evans has not been one of the few players who has shown a consistent effort since the start of the season, and he’s certainly a better option than Christian Dvorak or Oliver Kapanen, but we also have to be realistic about his potential offensive impact, which is limited.

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It remains to be seen if he can form some chemistry with Newhook, a player who starts to fade away when the puck is not on his stick blade. It’s also questionable whether this combination will work for Slafkovsky, who has almost maintained a point-per-game pace despite a tumultuous start to the season.

Jake Evans scores his first of the year for the #GoHabsGo. 1-0. pic.twitter.com/qYnzYWKwmf

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) October 26, 2024

Third Line: Brendan Gallagher – Christian Dvorak – Josh Anderson

Christian Dvorak took Evans’ spot on the third line, one of the few bright spots this season for the Canadiens. Of course, the solid play of the third line was also due in part to Evans’ presence, which means Dvorak will have to approach every shift with the same tenacity and work ethic as his predecessor.

Both Brendan Gallagher and Josh Anderson will provide a heavy forecheck, while Dvorak will have to keep an eye on both offensive and defensive situations. In other words, it will be difficult for Dvorak to emulate Evans’ hard work, but playing with two hard-working veterans may be the push he needs to create a renewed sense of urgency.

Fourth Line: Emil Heineman – Oliver Kapanen – Joel Armia

There are few situations less productive than putting prospects with offensive potential on the fourth line. That’s not to say Oliver Kapanen deserves a promotion, as his underlying numbers are among the worst in the entire NHL, but it’s also fair to say he’s not being used in a situation that’s conducive to developing properly.

Once Patrik Laine is ready to return, a decision will have to be made regarding Kapanen’s future, and all signs point to a return to Sweden being the most logical option. He’d be playing important minutes on the top line, with powerplay usage, rather than being used sporadically in the NHL with a rotating cast of wingers.