New Jersey Devils Lock Up Luke Evangelista With Five Year Extension

New Jersey Locks Up Evangelista

The New Jersey Devils have secured forward Luke Evangelista for the long term. On Tuesday night, general manager Sunny Mehta announced a five year contract extension for the 24 year old. The new deal secures his place among the team's deep group of forwards.

The contract extension is worth a total of $36.25 million, which averages out to $7.25 million per year. The new deal will begin with the 2027 to 2028 season. Evangelista is currently playing on his previous contract, which is worth $3 million for this season.

New Jersey only recently acquired Evangelista from the Nashville Predators on Sept. 1. To get him, the Devils traded away a 2028 conditional first round pick, which originally belonged to the Colorado Avalanche, along with their own 2028 second round pick.

Building Around the Stars

Evangelista was originally a second round pick in the 2020 draft. Last season with Nashville, he scored 12 goals and recorded a career high 56 points while playing in 81 games.

Mehta took over as general manager on April 16, replacing Tom Fitzgerald in the front office. Since his arrival, Mehta has worked quickly to upgrade the offense. The Devils struggled to score last year, averaging just 2.76 goals per game. That was the sixth fewest goals per game in the NHL. Because of those struggles, the team finished 12 points out of the second and final Eastern Conference playoff spot.

To fix the scoring issues, Mehta has added players to support stars Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, and captain Nico Hischier. Along with Evangelista, the Devils traded with the Florida Panthers to acquire two time Stanley Cup winner Evan Rodrigues. They also signed winger Anthony Mantha in free agency away from the Pittsburgh Penguins.

What it means for the next game

New York Islanders at New Jersey Devils (NHL, Sun, 20 Sep): New Jersey Devils win 49%, New York Islanders win 51%; projected score New Jersey Devils 3, New York Islanders 3. Our safest pick: Islanders +2.

New York Rangers at New Jersey Devils (NHL, Mon, 21 Sep): New Jersey Devils win 44%, New York Rangers win 56%; projected score New Jersey Devils 3, New York Rangers 3. Our safest pick: Under 8 goals.