Luke Evangelista’s contract negotiations with the Nashville Predators have extended into the 2025-26 season and will cause the 23-year-old forward to miss at least one day of training camp.
Players not under contract are not permitted to participate in on-ice activities. Until the two sides agree on a deal, Evangelista will not practice. He was not present at practice on Sept. 18.
“I think we’re in that sort of daily process,” Predators general manager Barry Trotz told reporters at Ford Ice Center Bellevue. “We love Luke, so we are just working through that and see if we can get him (under contract).”
Evangelista, 23, scored 10 goals and added 22 assists for the Predators last year while averaging 13:52 minutes over 68 games. A right-handed winger, Evangelista is a skilled playmaker with good offensive vision and finishing ability.
As a restricted free agent this summer, Evangelista was initially given a qualifying offer by the Predators, which allowed the two parties to continue negotiating over the summer. But those negotiations extended longer into the summer than anticipated.
A second-round pick (No. 42 overall) in 2020, Evangelista has 33 goals and 53 assists in 172 games since making his debut in 2023. In 2024, the Toronto native finished ninth in voting for the Calder Trophy, an award given annually to the NHL’s rookie of the year.
Alex Daugherty is the Predators beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Alex at jdaugherty@gannett.com. Follow Alex on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @alexdaugherty1. Also check out our Predators exclusive Instagram page @tennessean_preds.