Devils GM Sunny Mehta made his biggest offseason splash yet, trading two draft picks to the Nashville Predators for forward Luke Evangelista, and it looks like the team’s new lineup is locked and loaded for the season ahead. With just four preseason games on the horizon before they drop the puck against the Philadelphia Flyers on October 1, head coach Sheldon Keefe’s highly structured style is taking shape. Mehta’s spent his first offseason building a squad perfectly suited for it, and this Evangelista move is arguably his most notable one.
The Forwards Are Ready to Roll
You know the top line was money last season, right? Timo Meier and Dawson Mercer on the wings, with captain Nico Hischier centering them. That trio was the team’s absolute best, and with Hischier inked to a five-year extension this offseason, there’s zero reason for that to change. But here’s where it gets interesting: Evangelista’s playmaking prowess and his tenacious work ethic are a perfect fit on the second line. Imagine him doing the dirty work alongside star center Jack Hughes and steady point producer Jesper Bratt. That’s a serious offensive punch! Further down, free agent addition Anthony Mantha is set to lead the bottom-six. This veteran had a career year with the Penguins last season, and his physicality and timely goalscoring are exactly what this Devils team needs if they want to get back to the playoffs. Evan Rodrigues, a key veteran for the back-to-back Stanley Cup champion Panthers in 2023-24 and 2024-25, is also in the fold, bringing that well-rounded skillset. This frees up increased minutes for Cody Glass and Arseny Gritsyuk, who were already effective linemates in that bottom six last season. Jesper Boqvist, acquired with Rodrigues for goaltender Jacob Markstrom, will fight it out with Connor Brown, Stefan Noesen, and Nick Bjugstad for the remaining two spots. Keep an eye on 21-year-old Lenni Hameenaho, the 2023 second-round pick, but Evangelista is the real deal as a top-six play driver and an X-factor this season.
Defense Remains a Mystery
Alright, so the defensive pairings are definitely the murkiest part of this whole picture. The key to how this team does on defense is going to come down to how Keefe deploys 22-year-old left-handed defenseman Luke Hughes. He’s a light, nifty puck carrier, a total offensive-minded D-man, and it just makes sense to pair him with a bruising right-handed defenseman like Brett Pesce or Jonathan Kovacevic. Last season, those kinds of partnerships actually worked way better than when Hughes played with veteran left-hander Brendan Dillon or Simon Nemec, who got traded to Calgary this offseason. So, it looks like Dillon’s most likely partner is Dougie Hamilton, giving Hamilton all the offensive freedom he wants while Dillon brings that no-nonsense physicality to cover his back. That leaves one of Pesce or Kovacevic as the odd man out, and you know that’s a tough decision to make.
The Devils are about to kick off four preseason games before that October 1 opener against the Flyers. It’s time to see if this new-look roster, especially with Evangelista bringing that fire, can actually push them back into the playoff picture.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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