The final remaining RFA has signed a contract extension after Luke Evangelista and the Nashville Predators agreed to a two-year deal. The 23-year-old winger will earn $6 million over the two years and $3 million annually. Evangelista was the final remaining RFA without a contract after Anaheim [http://thn.com/anaheim]'s Mason McTavish [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/report-ducks-and-mctavish-finally-come-to-terms-on-a-six-year-deal] and New Jersey [http://thn.com/newjersey]'s Luke Hughes [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/devils-luke-hughes-gets-a-higher-salary-than-his-brothers-as-standoff-ends] signed long-term extensions recently. The right-winger has been an effective middle-six scorer early in his career, potting 33 goals and 86 points in 172 career games, including 10 goals and 32 points in 68 games last year. The Predators desperately needed to come to a resolution with Evangelista. Their current forward group consists of seven players over the age of 30. After missing the playoffs last season, the Predators need to blend youth and veterans, and Evangelista is one of the key youth pieces. Luke Evangelista (Steve Roberts-Imagn Images) [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/8320329c-b8f2-48ea-80be-e6fe3f7de5a4.jpeg] Luke Evangelista (Steve Roberts-Imagn Images) With former first-round picks Yegor Svechkov, Joakim Kemmell, Matthew Wood, and Brady Martin competing for roster spots or on the cusp of earning a role, retaining Evangelista was a must, and a tidy piece of business for GM Barry Trotz. When Evangelista's two-year contract expires, he'll remain a team-controlled RFA. There were plenty of reports shared throughout the signing process, but one thing that remained abundantly clear from Trotz was that he wasn't considering trading the former 2020 second-round pick. Even when he returned to Toronto during training camp to train alone, Trotz states that trading him wasn't an option. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/latest-news/nashville-predators-sign-luke-evangelista-to-new-contract-ending-3-month-standoff] Including trade rumors, several reports indicated that the team and player were far off for most of the process, but in the end, Evangelista signed prior to the start of the season and should be available for the season opener on Oct. 9 against when the Predators host the Columbus Blue Jackets.
