Rumors swirl that Nashville Predators might trade RFA Luke Evangelista

As this continues to drag on into September, it's beginning to become clear that the Nashville Predators and RFA Luke Evangelista remains far apart on coming together on a new contract.

Could we be witnessing yet another situation where the Predators move on from a young talent? It feels that way considering that this should've been done weeks ago at the latest if the two sides believed in each other long-term.

The prevailing thought is that Evangelista's camp wants a shorter term deal, maybe around two years, while General Manager Barry Trotz wants more of a long-term commitment. Neither side seems willing to budge on their demands, prompting speculation that the Predators are about to trade Evangelista away just before the 2025-26 season begins.

Sportsnet hockey insider Luke Fox recently suggested that the Predators might be willing to "shake things up" and move on from their second-round draft pick from 2020 who has already played in 172 NHL games with 33 goals and 53 assists for the Predators over three seasons.

Nashville Predators ready for another shocking trade just before the regular season starts?

A trade could be brewing just before the puck is officially dropped for 2025-26, and the Predators better get something in a 1-for-1 swap if they're going to go through with this. An equally talented young player who can be part of your long-term future if you're going to give up on Evangelista here.

A trade proposal from feature writer Nestor Quixtan of Heavy on NHL links the Toronto Maple Leafs to Evangelista. They bring up Evangelista's ties to the Ontario area and his possible eagerness to join a storied franchise like the Maple Leafs.

First of all, I've been hinting all offseason as this lingers further into the summer that Evangelista behind closed doors must not have much faith in the long-term picture of the Nashville Predators franchise. If he was a believer, then he would've signed the dotted line without much suspense and probably been fine with a little bit more of a commitment than two years.

The trade proposal sends Evangelista to Toronto while the Predators get a young player in return who doesn't have a defined role in Toronto and wants a fresh start. I'm honestly on board with this possibility, but only if indeed Evangelista is so far apart on wanting to stay in Nashville that there's no point in dragging this out any longer.

The last thing this organization needs right now is a contract dispute going into the regular season. This needs to be handled promptly before training camp one way or the other. Trotz's approval rating among the fanbase is already in the dumpster, and this won't help matters at all.

However, if Trotz can get a talented young player in return that can contribute immediately then it could save him from the embarrassment of this dragging into the regular season.

The player that is proposed for Nashville in return for Evangelista? The soon-to-be 24-year-old left winger Nick Roberston. Originally drafted by the Maple Leafs in the second round of 2019. He has 56 points in 156 NHL games, all with Toronto.

Sound familiar to Evangelista? In regards to this specific trade offering, I'm not crazy about it, but I'm also open-minded I suppose. I like the idea, just not crazy about the player in return. It's a bigger gamble to bring in a player that you have no idea how they're going to respond to being in the Nashville system. At least we know that Evangelista has upside to the Nashville lineup because he's already shown it without even getting consistency in his role.

Robertson has had an even smaller role with Toronto than Evangelsita has had with Nashville. In Robertson's five NHL seasons, in three of them he played in 15 games or fewer. This past season was a career high 69 games played, and also three playoff games where he managed to tally a goal and an assist.

What I do like about Robertson is he thrives on speed, and we know the Predators need plenty more of that. He should be extremely hungry coming into 2025-26 while being on a one-year deal that Toronto just signed him too. He has averaged under 12 minutes of average ice time in his 150-plus NHL games, so he's never really gotten that prime opportunity to show what he can do with his quick release and natural goal scoring skills.

Trotz has to be picky about who he gets in return if he trades Evangelista

The only way I can fully agree with this type of trade is if Evangelista is ready to move on from Nashville. If his demands are too high and he's not willing to negotiate in good faith to stay with Nashville, then sure, you have to get that distraction out of the locker room.

This would feel like another trade where Nashville is getting fleeced just to cut their losses. The x-factor in all of this is just how far apart the two sides really are, and does Evangelista deep down even want to stay in Nashville at all? Something we can't truly answer right now.

There could also be a few other teams interested in acquiring Evangelista via trade and signing him to a short-term deal that Evangelista is seeking but not getting from Trotz. I can't imagine the trade interest being too high, but maybe two or three other teams could have interest.

A Nashville starting lineup minus Evangelista means that someone like Michael Bunting moves into the top-six. Maybe another young talent gets a chance, like Joakim Kemell or Matthew Wood. The lineup lacks depth players who are ready to move into a top-six role, and spot that was supposed to be for Evangelista on Year 1 of his new contract with Nashville.

If this trade were to come true, Robertson wouldn't be a top-six player. He would have to prove it in the bottom-six while playing alongside players such as Cole Smith, Michael McCarron, Zachary L'Heureux and Erik Haula. I'm not confident he even cracks 10 goals in that scenario. So again, I'm not crazy about the 1-for-1 swap proposed here. I'm more on the side of getting this deal done with Evangelista. Find a way, Trotz.

I'm open to trading Evangelista at this point only if Evangelista truly wants out and if the player in return keeps the Predators on the pathway of acquiring young talent. But I'm also going to reserve the right to be picky in what I'm willing to trade him for.