Nashville Predators, RFA Luke Evangelista end contract standoff: Report

The Nashville Predators and RFA forward Luke Evangelista have reportedly ended their contract standoff by agreeing on a two-year, $6 million deal, The Athletic reported late Friday night.

The report, also confirmed by insider Chris Johnston, ends the stalemate that’s dragged on all summer and into training camp. Evangelist did not report to the Predators’ camp while the negotiations were ongoing.

The news was initially broken by insider Darren Dreger and caught momentum throughout the evening.

The 23-year-old is coming off a 68-game season in which he scored 10 goals and 32 points. He was rumored to be a deadline piece, but the Predators did not move him. Instead, they opted to keep him in the fold.

Talk throughout the summer suggested both sides were leaning toward a bridge deal. That has apparently come to fruition. Now, it will be up to Evangelist to prove he’s worthy of a long-term deal with a higher AAV moving forward.

Predators, Evangelista got it right with bridge deal

While the Predators may have preferred to sign Evangelista to a long-term deal, the club and player got it right by signing a two-year contract. The deal gives both parties enough flexibility moving forward.

On the one hand, the Predators don’t have to commit to a player they are not entirely sure of. On the other hand, Evangelista has enough time to prove his value and then cash in once the salary cap goes up.

Next season, the cap will rise from $95.5 million to $113.5 million. After that, the cap could continue rising even further. Some estimates consider the cap nearly doubling over the next decade or so.

As such, the Predators and Evangelist did the right thing by giving themselves enough time to think things through. Sure, they kicked the can down the road. There could be another stalemate in 2027.

But for now, a much larger crisis has been averted.