Change of Plans | FEATURE

Luke Evangelista was all packed.

His journey was supposed to take him from his home province of Ontario to Nashville, Tennessee, a 641-mile trip to begin his fifth NHL season.

His flight was booked for Wednesday.

But on Tuesday, his agent called.

“Just hang tight.”

Within the hour, Evangelista was on the phone with New Jersey Devils general manager Sunny Mehta, and his plans to head back to Nashville were suddenly scrapped. Instead, he’d be making a 360-mile drive south to New Jersey, nearly half the distance.

“I honestly was pretty surprised,” he said. “It was pretty much a shock. I thought I was going back to Nashville. I didn't quite see it coming.”

“The plan the whole summer was to head back to Nashville,” he added. “I think just being young and naive a little bit, you always think like, you know, ‘I'm in Nashville. I'm a Predator forever,’ or whatever. But the reality of the business and the hockey world is, you know, that's just not the case.”

The surprise of the trade, however, quickly gave way to excitement, particularly after Evangelista had a chance to speak with Mehta.

The Devils’ general manager made it clear that Evangelista wasn’t simply a player they had acquired to fill a spot. He was someone they believed could fit into what he is building in New Jersey.

That belief meant something to Evangelista.

“I think that feeling of being wanted and being coveted, as he expressed to me, it's a huge compliment,” Evangelista said. “And like I told him on the phone, I just thanked him for having faith in me and believing in me. And I want to make him look smart, make him look like he made the right decision trading for me.”

It’s a mindset that has helped turn an unexpected change of plans into a fresh opportunity.

In New Jersey, he’ll reunite with former Nashville teammate and close friend Cody Glass, while also joining fellow Ontarians Connor Brown and Johnathan Kovacevic, both of whom he occasionally skates with during the summer.

And if there’s one familiar face who can help make the transition easier, it’s Glass.

“I think it's always nice when you have at least a familiar face, someone you can kind of lean on, ask questions about what the whole process is there,” Evangelista said.

Then came the highest praise he could offer his former teammate.

“Cody, I've talked about, he's just the ultimate human. He's a great person, a great dad, a great friend. He's just such a likable guy, easy to cheer for. You just want the best for him.”

Evangelista has watched from afar as Glass found another level in New Jersey, following his former teammate closely even after Glass left Nashville.

“Sometimes change is good,” Evangelista said. “You never know. It's scary to kind of change when you're comfortable, but change can be good. And I'm excited for this new experience and new opportunity.”

Evangelista will arrive in New Jersey on Saturday, giving him a little more than a week to begin acclimating before the Devils’ main training camp opens next Wednesday.

The 24-year-old enters his first camp outside of Nashville coming off a career year, having recorded 56 points in 81 games last season, including a career-high 44 assists, 16 of which came on the power play.

That jump didn’t happen by accident.

Evangelista made significant changes to his preparation last summer, altering his off-ice training program and nutrition while also working with different on-ice trainers. The combination of those changes, along with three-plus years of NHL experience, helped him take another step.

He also credits the veteran players and staff in Nashville who helped him get there, including Steven Stamkos, Filip Forsberg and Ryan O’Reilly.

“Playing on those guys' line, you learn a lot from watching those guys,” he said. “So I can definitely say that those guys helped me kind of get to where I am as well.”

Now, the opportunity to build on that career year in New Jersey is there.

“I like to think of myself as a good playmaker, but there's a ton of elite playmakers in this lineup and guys that love to have the puck and see the ice really well,” he said. “So, I feel like I've always kind of found good chemistry with guys that see the ice and think the game in a similar way. And when I look at the lineup, there's plenty of those in Jersey.

“So, super excited to kind of try and build some chemistry with guys. And I've talked about I feel like my game is helping elevate my linemate's game. I think that's when I'm at my best, when I'm making my linemates better. I just want to get down there, meet everyone, help everyone be the best they can.”

His play appears to be the right fit for this group, but so does his mentality. Even though he will be new to the squad, Evangelista arrives with the same goal that will be driving the returning members of the Devils: getting back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

At their year-end meetings, members of the 2025-26 Devils expressed their disappointment in missing the postseason, particularly given the talent on the roster.

Evangelista knows that feeling, too.

“I'm super excited about being on a competitive squad and I've had a little taste of playoff hockey. It's been a couple years since I played in the playoffs,” he said. “It hurts every time, you know, you're eliminated. So, um, the idea of, you know, getting back to the playoffs, I've seen the Prudential Center in the playoffs just absolutely rocking.

“So, would love to get a taste of that.”