Concern is building around the Canadiens after Jake Evans left practice in Brossard just minutes after stepping on the ice and did not return.
The early exit immediately puts his status in doubt for Tuesday’s matchup against the Wild at the Bell Centre. There has been no official update yet, but a player leaving that quickly and staying off the ice is never a great sign, and Montreal may now be staring at an unexpected lineup change.
Evans has been a useful piece for the Canadiens this season, with 6 points in 17 games and a plus-4 rating. His shorthanded goal is part of what makes him valuable beyond the box score, and his absence would leave Martin St. Louis with another lineup decision to sort out.
The bottom six is already a moving target. Florian Xhekaj and Owen Beck have been rotating with Chris Kreider and Josh Anderson on the fourth line, and both are still competing for a spot.
Beck, a natural center, would be a logical option if Evans is unavailable. He has 3 points in 6 games, and Kirby Dach’s return had already made the roster picture more complicated.
That said, Beck is not automatically Evans’ replacement. Nothing has been confirmed, but his ability to handle center gives St. Louis some room to maneuver.
The rest of the forward group appears unchanged. Cole Caufield, who has 11 goals, remains with Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky, while Zachary Bolduc is still skating with Phillip Danault and Alexandre Texier.
Anderson being on the ice is at least a positive sign, especially with the questions hanging over the lower part of the lineup.
For now, the Canadiens are left waiting to see whether Evans can go Tuesday or whether another adjustment is coming. Until there’s an update, Montreal’s No. 71 is the name everyone is watching.
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The response showed up in the standings, too, as Montreal came back to beat Toronto in its next game and give its season a better feel in the crowded NHL picture. For a group that had just been dealing with tension behind closed doors, the sequence was a reminder that sometimes the message lands best when it is followed by a sharper practice and a win that lets everyone breathe a little easier. [Read more 🡒]
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Arber Xhekaj Just Added Real Edge To Canadiens-Leafs Again
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What bothered Xhekaj even more was what happened to Kirby Dach during the same sequence, when the play escalated into a two-on-one situation. For Montreal, it was another reminder of how quickly these games can tilt from competitive to combustible, especially when Xhekaj is involved and the Canadiens feel they have a reason to push back. The result is an unresolved little subplot that could easily carry into the next time these teams see each other. [Read more 🡒]