The New Jersey Devils made another notable move in their roster overhaul Tuesday, landing forward Luke Evangelista from the Nashville Predators in exchange for a first- and second-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft.
The first-round selection Nashville is getting originally belonged to the Colorado Avalanche. If Colorado’s 2027 first-round pick does not transfer to the Toronto Maple Leafs, or if Colorado’s 2028 first-round pick lands in the top 10, the Predators will instead receive Colorado’s unprotected 2029 first-rounder.
Evangelista, 24, is coming off a season in which he put up 12 goals and 56 points in 81 games. He is signed through next season at a $3-million cap hit and will be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights next summer.
The underlying numbers were strong, too. Evangelista led all Predators regulars in Corsi for at 57.3% and expected goals share at 56.2%, according to Natural Stat Trick.
For Nashville, the deal adds more draft capital and gives the club more room to maneuver. Predators general manager Chris MacFarland said in a statement, "We know Luke is a good, young player who has endeared himself to our fans, so this decision was not made lightly," Predators general manager Chris MacFarland said in a statement. "At the same time, we've explored all possibilities in pursuit of making our team better moving forward.
"This trade brings us two more high draft picks, ... provides us with flexibility from a roster and salary cap standpoint to make additional improvements to our team, and creates a space for the promising young wingers within our organization to compete for, and earn, an NHL job."
The move also fits the Devils’ busy offseason under new GM Sunny Mehta. Evangelista becomes the latest addition to a forward group that already includes Anthony Mantha, Evan Rodrigues, Jesper Boqvist, and Amadeus Lombardi.
Nashville selected Evangelista 42nd overall in 2020. The Toronto native has 45 goals and 142 points in 253 career games across four seasons with the Predators.
In Other News...
Devils Turned The Nemec Deal Into A Much Bigger Storyline
The Devils roster shakeup did not stop with one deal, because the move involving Simon Nemec and Maxim Tsyplakov ended up opening the door to a much larger reset. New Jersey sent the pair to Calgary for defensive prospect Etienne Morin, a 2026 second-round pick, and first-round picks from Colorado and Vegas, a clear sign that the front office shift after Tom Fitzgeralds departure and Sunny Mehtas arrival is already changing how the organization values its assets.
Luke Evangelista is part of that broader picture, too, giving the Devils another layer of intrigue as they try to rework the lineup around younger talent and more flexible long-term pieces. His addition gives the team another potential offensive option, and the question now is how New Jersey will line up those pieces and what kind of scoring support he and his linemates can provide as this new era takes shape. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Put Real Pressure On 2 Veterans Who Have To Deliver
The Devils have spent the summer adding forward depth, and the latest wave of moves has only sharpened the competition in camp. Luke Evangelista is part of that mix, which puts even more pressure on a lineup that already has to sort out where Dawson Mercer fits. Mercer is entering the final year of his contract, and for a player whose role has never been more uncertain, this is the kind of season that can quickly define how the organization views him going forward.
Jake Allen is facing his own version of the same test in net. Expected to open the season as New Jerseys starting goaltender, he is now in the second year of his contract and needs to show he can be more than a steady placeholder. For the Devils, the equation is simple enough: Mercer has to hold his place in a crowded forward group, and Allen has to give the team confidence that the crease is secure. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Prospects Suddenly Face Real Pressure To Prove Themselves In Utica
The Devils roster has gotten crowded enough that even promising young players may have to wait their turn, and that makes Utica a far more consequential stop than it was a few weeks ago. With Luke Evangelista now in the mix, the path to NHL minutes looks narrower for players such as Lenni Hameenaho and David Rittich, while the attention shifts to the prospects who need the AHL to become more than just a holding pattern.
Matyas Melovsky, Shane Lachance and Jakub Malek are among the names that now matter even more in that setting, because their recent play will go a long way toward determining who can actually help New Jersey down the line. For the Devils, the bigger question is not just which prospects can survive in Utica, but which ones can sharpen enough there to turn a logjam into real competition, especially with goaltending still presenting its own uncertainty. [Read more 🡒]