Devils acquire Evangelista from Predators

The Devils acquired forward Luke Evangelista from the Predators on Tuesday. Evangelista scored 12 goals and a career-high 56 points in 81 games last season.

In the deal, the Predators received a 2028 conditional first-round pick via the Avalanche and the Devils' 2028 second-round pick. Evangelista had one year remaining on his contract worth $3 million.

First-year Devils general manager Sunny Mehta has used the offseason to address scoring, an area of concern after the Devils averaged 2.76 goals per game last season, the sixth-fewest in the NHL. The Devils finished 12 points out of the second and final Eastern Conference playoff spot. Mehta took over in mid-April after serving as an assistant GM with the Panthers.

In June, Mehta traded goaltender Jacob Markstrom to the Panthers in a package that brought back Evan Rodrigues, who has scored more than 10 goals and 30 points in each of the last five seasons. The Devils also signed winger Anthony Mantha in free agency to a two-year deal worth $4.75 million annually after he scored 33 goals and 64 points last season for the Penguins.

For Nashville, moving on from Evangelista is the latest move by GM and team president Chris MacFarland since he took over in early June. MacFarland, previously GM of the Avalanche, has added players familiar with the Central Division such as Mavrik Bourque, Ross Colton, Jack Drury, Alexander Kerfoot and Ilya Lybushkin to a team that finished four points adrift of the second and final Western Conference wild-card spot.