On Tuesday night, the New Jersey Devils announced that they have acquired Luke Evangelista from the Nashville Predators in exchange for two picks in the 2028 NHL Draft. One is a conditional first‑round pick from the Colorado Avalanche, while the other will be the Devils’ second‑round selection.
#BREAKING: We’ve acquired forward Luke Evangelista from Nashville in exchange for two picks in the 2028 NHL Draft.
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) September 2, 2026
Drafted 42nd overall by the Predators in 2020, Evangelista spent the first four seasons of his career with the franchise. In that time frame, he recorded 45 goals and 97 assists across 253 NHL games.
The 24‑year‑old right wing is entering the final season of his two‑year contract, which carries a $3 million cap hit. He will become a restricted free agent at the end of the 2026‑27 campaign. With his contract on the books, the Devils have $850,000 of salary cap remaining.
Throughout his NHL career, Evangelista has established himself as a reliable middle‑six forward—an area the Devils have targeted for reinforcement this offseason. Known for his strong playmaking and two‑way consistency, he is set to become a key secondary scorer for New Jersey. He also posted several career highs this past season, including 56 points, a 16:37 average ice time per game, 176 shots on goal, and 17 power‑play points.
Evangelista and Cody Glass have previously been teammates, having played together on a line during the 2022‑23 season. Glass expressed excitement about the trade on social media, and their revived chemistry could provide a notable boost for the Devils.
This acquisition marks another depth‑scoring addition by general manager Sunny Mehta. Despite the summer’s progress, Mehta appears poised to make further moves before the regular season kicks off.
