New Jersey Devils acquire Luke Evangelista from Predators for draft picks

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/evangelista-luke/nXikE90s/"]Evangelista[/a], 24, has spent all four years of his NHL career with the Preds. The Toronto, Ontario, native is coming off a career season after posting 56 points with 12 goals and a career-high 44 assists, which shattered his previous best of 23. [/p][embed guid="2063f3d2-04e4-49ab-a572-16c7467c4461" url="https://x.com/NHL/status/2094956691851022500?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]After being selected 42nd overall in the 2020 NHL Draft, Evangelista wouldn't make his debut until the 2022-2023 season, when he put up seven goals and eight assists in 24 games, putting together an average ice time of 16:34, which was almost a full three minutes more than the following two seasons.[/p][p]Despite averaging 13:57 of ice time in his second season, Evangelista put up what is still a career-high 16 goals, along with 23 assists, in 80 games. [/p][p]He would have a down season in 2024-2025 (10g, 22a) after missing four weeks with a lower-body injury, playing in 68 games, before bouncing back this past year. [/p][p]The Devils needed a top-six winger. Now Evangelista has a chance to help both the Devils and himself. The right wing playmaker is currently in the final year of his two-year, $6 million deal and is set to become a restricted free agent after this season. [/p]