This time last year, everyone was wondering when Luke Evangelista would sign his contract with the Nashville Predators.
Days and weeks of training camp went by without Evangelista on the ice, until he finally signed on Oct. 3, kicking off his career-best 56-point season.
It was supposed to be the start of a long, successful career in Nashville for Evangelista. The 23-year-old winger would not only help bridge the gap between two eras of Nashville hockey, he'd continue to endear himself to the fan base by starring in team social media videos and putting up points on the ice.
Instead, he was unceremoniously traded to the New Jersey Devils on Sept. 1, two weeks before training camp.
"This decision was not made lightly," general manager Chris MacFarland
said of the trade, later adding: "(Evangelista's) a proven player, but we're very happy with the return."
That return was two draft picks, a conditional 2028 first-round pick (a pick originally owned by the Colorado Avalanche that the Devils acquired last year) and the Devils' own 2028 second-round pick. It's a nice return, considering that Evangelista himself was a second-round pick in 2020.
But the decision and timing have left a significant hole in the Predators' lineup, one that coach Andrew Brunette will have to address in the coming weeks.
How trading Luke Evangelista alters Predators' lineup, short-term outlook
Evangelista skated over 1,300 minutes in all strengths for the Predators last season, fifth most among the team's forwards. Replacing that ice time will be difficult, especially since he led all Predators forwards in expected goals share (xG%) and shot attempt share (CF%) according to Natural Stat Trick.
Yes, Evangelista benefited from playing with top forwards Ryan O'Reilly and Filip Forsberg. But there's an argument that those two benefited from Evangelista just as much. With all three on the ice, the Predators scored 3.85 goals per hour at even strength. When O'Reilly and Forsberg were out there without Evangelista, that rate dropped to 2.52 goals per hour.
Evangelista isn't the fastest skater, but his puck-handling and passing ability created scoring lanes for his linemates. He finished with 44 assists, second most on the team, and he was an excellent weapon on the second power-play unit. Things were promising heading into his fourth full season.
But that's irrelevant now. He's in New Jersey and the Predators must replace his production.
The best option to do that now is Jonathan Marchessault. That doesn't bode well — Marchessault had a terrible 2025-26 season, finishing with 31 points, his lowest output since his rookie season in 2015-16.
Here's what the forward lineup could look like with Evangelista gone:
Filip Forsberg - Ryan O'Reilly - Jonathan Marchessault
Steven Stamkos - Mavrik Bourque - Matthew Wood
Ross Colton - Jack Drury - Nils Hoglander
Alex Kerfoot - Vitali Pinchuk - Ozzy Wiesblatt
Extra: Brady Martin, Adam Edstrom, Aiden Fink
Objectively, that's a weaker lineup than it was two days ago. It requires more of Marchessault, who hasn't shown he has more to give, and it puts more pressure on second-year forward Matthew Wood as RW2.
Also, what happens if there's an injury to the top six? What does the second power-play unit look like without its main offensive weapon? And what if Brady Martin isn't ready for full-time NHL minutes and heads to Milwaukee for the year?
Speaking of Martin, when MacFarland explained the trade on Sept. 1, he made one interesting comment about the team's stockpile of wingers. Notably, he inferred that Martin was now a wing, instead of the center he was drafted to be.
Replacing Evangelista, a winger, with Martin, a center, isn't ideal. Even if Martin is overall a better prospect, you need him to strengthen your center outlook. Egor Surin, who MacFarland also mentioned, is the better wing prospect, but he won't be in Nashville until 2027.
Set aside that Evangelista is a fan favorite with a winning smile and an infectious personality. Trading him away reduces the forward talent pool in Nashville and it hurts the Predators' chances of competing in 2026-27.
Alex Daugherty is the Predators beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Alex at jdaugherty@gannett.com, follow him on X at@alexdaugherty1 or check out our Predators exclusive Instagram page @tennessean_preds.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: How trading Luke Evangelista impacts Nashville Predators short-term outlook
