Devils Acquire Luke Evangelista From Predators for 2028 Draft Picks – The Hockey Writers – NHL News

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 put up 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 is set to become a restricted free agent (RFA) at the end of 2026-27. With his contract on the books, the Devils now have just $850,000 in salary cap remaining. 

Throughout his NHL career thus far, Evangelista has demonstrated that he’s a reliable middle-six forward — an area that the Devils have focused on strengthening this offseason. Known for his exceptional playmaking and two-way capabilities, he’ll have the opportunity to become a crucial secondary scorer this season. Likewise, he’s coming off a number of career highs, including points (56), time on ice per game (16:37), shots on goal (176), and power-play points (17).

It’s also worth noting that Evangelista and Cody Glass have been teammates before. Evangelista made his debut with the Predators in 2022-23, and they played on a line together the following season. Glass even took to social media to share his excitement for the trade. It will be interesting to see what their on-ice chemistry could bring to the table for the Devils.

This trade marks yet another depth scoring acquisition on behalf of general manager (GM) Sunny Mehta. Summer might be winding down, but it’s clear that he just might have a few more tricks up his sleeve before the regular season begins.

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