Jake Evans is the name of the moment for the Montreal Canadiens and the NHL.

He is involved in multiple trade rumors, and there is even some concrete development in this case.

However, there is a condition.

That being said, Evans continues to fuel discussions, and clearly, to protect him until Friday, the Canadiens have made a decision.

Jake Evans pulled from press conferences by the Canadiens

Over the past few days, Evans has indeed been kept out of press conferences and is no longer answering questions from reporters.

Clearly, the Canadiens want to prevent him from being too distracted and from being bombarded with questions about the trade deadline.

“At the moment, he is voluntarily being kept away from the media [speaking about Jake Evans].”

As we mentioned earlier today, Kent Hughes’ plan for Evans seems extremely clear.

He does not absolutely want to trade him, but he will do so if he gets a good return, just like he did with Artturi Lehkonen a few years ago.

If Hughes receives a first-round pick or a good young player for Evans, he will likely make the trade. However, he is very comfortable with keeping Evans on the team if he does not get his price.

Evans, 28, is a center who has recorded 28 points in 61 games this season and earns $1.7 million per year until the summer of 2025.

He is, of course, on track to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.