Columbus Blue Jackets’ Zach Werenski discusses summer trade talks
Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski speaks to media about summer trade talks and his return to the team.
The New Jersey Devils acquired winger Luke Evangelista from the Nashville Predators on Tuesday, Sept. 1 for a conditional 2028 first-round pick and a second-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft.
Evangelista, 24, is coming off a career-best season with 44 assists and 56 points as the 2020 second-round pick played a top-six role in Nashville. He ranked fourth on the Predators in points and was second in assists.
The traded first-round pick belongs to the Colorado Avalanche. It would become a 2009 first-round pick if 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.
Here are trade grades for the Luke Evangelista deal:
Luke Evangelista trade details
The Devils get winger Luke Evangelista and the Predators get a conditional first-round pick and a second rounder in the 2028 draft.
The Devils finished 27th in scoring last season and Evangelista’s 56 points would have placed him fourth on the team. He had more points than any New Jersey right wing last season and he has a good upside. Coupled with the signing of free-agent 33-goal scorer Anthony Mantha, new general manager Sunny Mehta has added scoring from the wing in a bid to get back to the playoffs. Evangelista is in the second year of a two-year, $6 million contract and will be a restricted free agent after the season.
The move was surprising considering Evangelista is young and had a 24-point jump in points last season. But new Predators GM Chris MacFarland was busy adding forwards in the offseason, including Mavrik Bourque, Ross Colton and Jack Drury. He said trading Evangelista wasn’t an easy decision, but the Predators now have seven picks in the first two rounds over the next two drafts and the room to give one of the promising wingers in the organization a chance to compete for an NHL job.