The New Jersey Devils announced on Tuesday night that they have extended forward Luke Evangelista.
Luke’s on lock!
We’ve signed Luke Evangelista to a five-year contract extension, beginning in the 2027-28 season.
?: https://t.co/AJgTrotTvx pic.twitter.com/baOO8jbLJl
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) September 16, 2026
New Jersey Devils Acquire Luke Evangelista Adding More Depth to the Roster
Evangelista gets a five-year extension beginning in the 2027-28 season worth $36.250 million, with a $7.250 million salary cap hit. Per the New Jersey Devils, Evangelista will receive the following over the length of the contract:
2027-28: $9,700,000
2028-29: $8,260,000
2029-30: $6,120,000
2030-31: $6,085,000
2031-32: $6,085,000
It was the final day for any player to get deals done under the old CBA rules, which changed on September 16th. While everyone was focused on the contract length, with the term dropping from eight years to seven to keep your own players and seven years to six for unrestricted free agents, the bigger focus was on structure.
Evangelista gets 77 percent ($27.915 million) of his $36.25 million contract as a signing bonus. This number would not be legal under the new CBA rules, which state only 60 percent of the contract can be front-loaded.
The #NJDevils signed 24 y/o F Luke Evangelista to a 5 year $7.25M cap hit contract:
Yr 1: $900K Salary, $8.8M Signing Bonus
Yr 2: $950K Salary, $7.31M SB
Yr 3: $1M Salary, $5.12M SB
Yr 4: $4.085M Salary, $2M SB
Yr 5: $1.4M Salary, $4.685M SB7 team NTC in Yr 3, 5 team Yr 4, 3…
— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) September 16, 2026
New Devils General Manager Sunny Mehta traded for Luke Evangelista from the Nashville Predators back on September 2nd. He used some of the package he received in the Simon Nemec trade with the Calgary Flames to get a player who can fit anywhere in the top nine and play in the top six.
New GM Sunny Mehta Leaving His Mark Already on the New Jersey Devils
Evangelista was entering the final year of a two-year deal worth $3 million that he signed with the Nashville Predators. Without playing a game for the Devils, Mehta knew he was the right addition given Evangelista’s size and what he can do on the ice.
In 253 regular-season games, he has 142 points (45 goals and 97 assists). Last season in Nashville, he hit a career high with 81 games played, 44 assists and 56 points. Evangelista can line up either next to Jack Hughes or Nico Hischier.
Sunny Mehta continues to show he has a mind for hockey, bringing in players with strong hockey sense and numbers. While some may say this is a little high for Luke Evangelista, the numbers are only going up in a changing market.
