#2: Luke Evangelista
The sophomore slump was very real for Luke Evangelista for much of the season, but he really ramped up his offensive production in March and April with 16 points in 23 games during that timespan.
The Predators are stuck with some veteran contracts, but once you get past those, Evangelista is the first of the next generation of players that has to work out for this franchise. There is a lot to be optimistic about with Evangelista's game, including what I saw as an improvement in his hockey IQ and his puck management. He saw the ice more effectively, and the game seemed to slow down for him in clutch moments.
As I've already mentioned on the Stamkos slide, my early outlook for the Predators' second line combo is Evangelista slotted in with Stamkos and Svechkov. The plan is that Stamkos can bring out the best in these young players.
For the Predators to avoid a rebuild and call it instead a retool, Evangelista has to keep trending upward. His ice time should dramatically elevate in 2025-26. For his first two fulltime seasons in the NHL his ice time has been minimal at less than 14 minutes per game. And yet he still managed 71 points and 306 shots on goal. He is making the most of his modest ice time, and now it's time for coaches to give this guy a bigger role at age 23.
I remain bullish on Evangelista's ceiling. We forget how young he still is as he just turned 23. I have optimism that his goal scoring will improve considerably in 2025-26 and he has the tools to finish between 20 and 30 goals. That would be massive for a Predators team that finished 31st in the NHL in goals at 2.59 per game, a drop off from the previous season at 3.24 which was 10th in the NHL.
The Predators have to identify their top-six and stick with it to open 2025-26. I said from the early going that Brunette was shuffling his lines way too much and was hampering team chemistry. That can't repeat itself again or it will be another top-5 lottery pick kind of season. And Evangelista is one of your young player that has to be ready for that role.
It should be noted that Evangelista is a restricted free agent, but it's fully expected that he'll be re-signed. He just completed his entry level contract.