New Devils GM Sunny Mehta isn’t done shaking up their roster with training camp right around the corner.
New Jersey acquired Predators winger Luke Evangelista on Tuesday for a conditional 2028 first-round pick and a 2028 second-rounder.
The first-round pick is originally from the Avalanche. The Predators would receive Colorado’s 2029 first-rounder if the Avs’ 2027 first-rounder isn’t transferred to the Maple Leafs, or if the 2028 first-rounder is in the top 10.
Evangelista, 24, is coming off a career year with Nashville, scoring 12 goals with 44 assists in 81 games while logging 16:37 of ice time per game. Sixteen of his assists came on the power play.
The 2020 second-round pick is entering the last season of a two-year, $6 million contract and is set to be an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent after the 2026-27 season.
Mehta, who grew up in Wyckoff and went to Ramapo HS and was previously was the Devils’ director of hockey analytics, is in his first year as an NHL general manager after spending the last six seasons with the Panthers, including three years as an assistant GM.
With the Devils missing the playoffs and having only won one playoff series over the past 14 years, Mehta has put his imprint on the roster.
Anthony Mantha was his biggest addition up front, the veteran winger signing a two-year, $9.5 million contract after coming off a career year with the Penguins in which he had 33 goals and 31 assists.
Mehta was also able to dump disappointing veteran goalie Jacob Markstrom and his $6 million annual cap hit for the next two years on his former team, trading him to the Panthers for forward depth in Evan Rodrigues, Jesper Boqvist and Ben Steeves.
Goaltending has held the Devils back from breaking through despite an impressive core that includes American gold-medal hero Jack Hughes and his brother Luke, Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt.
They currently have 36-year-old Jake Allen, unproven 25-year-old Nico Daws and uninspiring 34-year-old David Rittich.
If Mehta wants to take a big swing, he could try for Hughes’ fellow gold medalist Connor Hellebuyck, the star Winnipeg Jets goalie who recently publicly confirmed his trade request.
