Devils Bail Out Predators in Evangelista Trade While Rangers Snag Tolvanen on a Discount

As reported by Daily Faceoff, the Nashville Predators finally ended the weirdest staring contest of the NHL offseason, shipping RFA holdout Luke Evangelista to the New Jersey Devils while Eeli Tolvanen quietly took a massive pay cut to join the New York Rangers.

Evangelista was stuck in a bizarre contract standoff with Nashville over what amounted to couch cushion money in NHL terms. The Predators reportedly refused to budge past a $2.1 million average, so they ultimately signed him to a two-year, $6 million deal just to immediately flip him to New Jersey for a conditional 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 second-rounder.

"Daily Faceoff reported the Evangelista trade and Tolvanen signing as part of their daily NHL coverage."

For context, Evangelista put up 32 points in 68 games last season. That is solid middle-six production, but Nashville dug their heels in so hard you would think they were negotiating with prime Wayne Gretzky. Now the Devils get a 23-year-old winger with upside, and the Predators get draft capital for a guy who was apparently never going to put on their sweater again.

Meanwhile, the Rangers scooped up Eeli Tolvanen on a one-year, $1.5 million prove-it deal. Tolvanen just posted 12 goals, 36 points, and 187 hits in 78 games for the Seattle Kraken last year, but apparently the open market looked at those numbers and collectively shrugged.

He is taking a nearly $2 million pay cut from his previous salary just to get a sweater in New York. For anyone betting on Rangers depth production this season, getting a guy who has consistently hit the 30-point mark over the last four years for near league minimum is the kind of value play that front offices dream about.

Evangelista is expected to make his season debut for the Devils on Saturday against Utah, finally getting to play actual hockey instead of negotiating. As for Tolvanen, he will slot into the Rangers' bottom six, looking to score 20 goals and make the rest of the league regret leaving him on the discount rack until September.