Luke Evangelista was traded to the New Jersey Devils by the Nashville Predators on Tuesday.
The Predators received a conditional first-round pick and a second-round selection in the 2028 NHL Draft. New Jersey previously received the conditional first-round pick from the Calgary Flames in the deal for defenseman Simon Nemec on June 23.
Evangelista had an NHL career-high 56 points (12 goals, 44 assists) in 81 games for the Predators last season.
The 24-year-old forward is entering the second season of a two-year, $6 million contract ($3 million average annual value) he signed with Nashville on Oct. 4, 2025. He can become a restricted free agent after this season.
“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. “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, giving us seven in the first two rounds over the next two seasons; 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. We wish Luke all the best in New Jersey.”
Selected by Nashville in the second round (No. 42) of the 2020 NHL Draft, Evangelista has 142 points (45 goals, 97 assists) in 253 regular-season games, and one goal in six Stanley Cup Playoff games.
