The New Jersey Devils acquired forward Luke Evangelista from the Nashville Predators for a first- and second-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft, the teams announced Tuesday.
The first-rounder headed to Nashville originally belonged to the Colorado Avalanche. If Colorado's 2027 first-round pick doesn't transfer to the Toronto Maple Leafs, or if Colorado's 2028 first-round pick is in the top 10, Nashville will instead receive Colorado's unprotected 2029 first-rounder.
Evangelista, 24, tallied 12 goals and 56 points in 81 games last season. He's signed through next season at a $3-million cap hit and is set to be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights next summer.
"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."
Evangelista led all Predators regulars in Corsi for (57.3%) and expected goals share (56.2%), according to Natural Stat Trick.
The Devils continue to reshape their roster under new GM Sunny Mehta. Evangelista joins Anthony Mantha, Evan Rodrigues, Jesper Boqvist, and Amadeus Lombardi as forward additions for New Jersey this offseason.
The Predators drafted Evangelista 42nd overall in 2020. The Toronto native has 45 goals and 142 points in 253 career games over four seasons in Nashville.
