Luke Evangelista trade grades for Devils, Predators

The New Jersey Devils and Nashville Predators swung a late offseason trade on Tuesday night. Forward Luke Evangelista is headed to the Devils in exchange for two draft picks. Evangelista, 24, is signed through the 2026-27 season.

The draft picks heading to the Predators are a conditional 2028 first-round pick, originally owned by the Colorado Avalanche, and an unconditional 2028 second-round pick. Nashville will receive the first-round pick once two conditions are met.

“The conditions are as follows: in the event that either a) Colorado’s 2027 first-round pick is not transferred to Toronto; or b) Colorado’s 2028 first-round pick falls within the top 10, Nashville shall instead receive Colorado’s 2029 first-round pick,” New Jersey confirmed in a statement following the trade.

This is a very intriguing trade, and one made so late into the offseason. With this in mind, let’s take a look at the Luke Evangelista trade and hand out grades to both the Devils and Predators.

Devils make good bet on Luke Evangelista

The Devils are trying to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs. More than this, though, they want to be sustainable as a contender. Adding highly talented young players certainly helps with that goal. Evangelista fits the bill and then some.

Evangelista put up a career-high 56 points last season for the Predators. He was consistently in their top six and was one of their best forwards. It seemed as if the 24-year-old would be a part of their team for some time.

For whatever reason, Nashville elected to sell high on their former second-round pick. The Devils will certainly make this bet without any hesitation. Evangelista should remain a highly effective top-six forward with the talent he’s surrounded by in New Jersey.

The price paid is a bit steep. Evangelista is signed for this season and is a restricted free agent in 2027. At this time, a new contract has not been signed. While there is team control, Evangelista has leverage, especially with the recent uptick in offer sheets.

Beyond this, New Jersey has a pretty crowded forward group. It’s hard to imagine where he fits within this current setup. Perhaps this is the first move of a chain of transactions to come.

In any event, the talent is evident, even if the price is a bit steep. It’s not the worst move for the Devils to make, especially with the new season so close.

GRADE: A-

Predators logic is sound, but risky nonetheless

The Predators part of this trade is a bit more confounding. Nashville is in a bit of a rebuilding period. They had a nice second-half surge last season, but all in all, this is a team in transition from the current generation to the next.

Even if this wasn’t the case, trading a 24-year-old established top-six forward is risky. Evangelista very well may not have hit his stride in the NHL. There is a non-zero chance he flourishes in New Jersey.

There is certainly some logic to this move. Evangelista is signed for one more season, but the team control is valuable. The Predators brought in a slew of forwards this summer to improve their depth. Selling high on Evangelista is a good way to replenish draft capital, as well.

It’s hard to deny the return Nashville got. At the same time, it’s a trade that can so easily backfire. They are not a better team in the short or long-term with this move. The logic is sound, and the return is good, but this is a confusing move from general manager Chris MacFarland.

GRADE: B-

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