The New Jersey Devils have acquired forward Luke Evangelista from the Nashville Predators, the team announced Tuesday. In exchange, New Jersey sent a conditional 2028 first-round pick and a 2028 second-round selection to Nashville.
Evangelista, 24, is coming off a career-high season with the Predators, recording 12 goals and 44 assists in 81 games. He averaged 16:37 of ice time per game and had 16 assists on the power play. The winger was a second-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft and is entering the final season of a two-year, $6 million contract. He is eligible to become a restricted free agent after the 2026-27 season.
The trade marks another move by new Devils General Manager Sunny Mehta, who is looking to reshape the roster ahead of training camp. Mehta, in his first year as GM after previous roles with the Panthers, has already made other significant additions, including signing veteran winger Anthony Mantha to a two-year, $9.5 million contract. Mantha is also coming off a career year, having scored 33 goals and 31 assists with the Penguins.
Mehta also addressed the team's goaltending situation by trading veteran Jacob Markstrom and his $6 million annual cap hit to the Panthers. In return, New Jersey received forwards Evan Rodrigues, Jesper Boqvist, and Ben Steeves.
The Devils have aimed to strengthen their core, which includes forwards Jack Hughes, Luke Hughes, Nico Hischier, and Jesper Bratt. The team has faced challenges in net with their current goaltending depth, which includes 36-year-old Jake Allen, 25-year-old Nico Daws, and 34-year-old David Rittich.