Is this an actual crisis or is this just spiraling in the offseason? It's been 63 days since Nashville Predators [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators] forward Luke Evangelista was made a qualifying offer [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/predators-extend-qualifying-offer-to-forward-luke-evangelista] upon the expiration of his entry-level contract. In three seasons with the Predators, Evangelista has emerged as a potential future star of this organization, putting up 32 points in 68 games last season at 22-23 years old. General manager Barry Trotz has called him the future of the Predators, [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/fixing-defense-was-focus-for-trotz-nashville-predators-in-free-agency]and Evangelista said this past season has been "a great opportunity" for him playing in the Predators' top six. However, less than a month before Predators training camp, Evangelista has yet to sign a new contract. He did not sign the original offer by the July 15 deadline [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/nashville-predators-qualifying-offer-to-luke-evangelista-expires-tuesday], but that does not mean that all negotiations have stopped. Evangelista's representation and Trotz have most likely spent the better part of these last 55 days trying to figure out a contract that would work for everyone. On July 1, following the opening of free agency, Trotz commented on the status of Evangelista's contract negotiations. Dec 14, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Nashville Predators right wing Luke Evangelista (77) in the first period against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/3c61ceea-a603-4a02-ae7b-c0629bac0c7b.jpeg] Dec 14, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Nashville Predators right wing Luke Evangelista (77) in the first period against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images "We're just trying to find a term that fits," Trotz said on Evangelista's qualifying offer [https://thehockeynews.com/bbs/nashville-predators/search/posts?q=Evangelista&tokenName=NHLNP&sortBy=publishTime&range=allTime#:~:text=%27Fixing%20defense%27%20was%20focus%20for%20Trotz%2C%20Nashville%20Predators%20in%20free%20agency]. "I would like to go longer. The agents are hesitant to go longer on term." While all of this has been centered on Evangelista, rightfully so, throughout the summer, there has been a growing narrative about the Predators' front office. The Athletic has published a series of articles this summer [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/nVg1ijLvmEdQBQlnqc5l] ranking the interworking of every team in the league. Brady Skjei and Nic Hague's contracts were ranked as two of the worst in the league. The Predators were ranked 30th out of 32 in the NHL's contract efficiency rankings, and the Predators' front office confidence was ranked 31st with a "D-" rating. With the Predators taking an elongated amount of time to re-sign Evangelista, a player they highly value, the front office could be in hot water before the puck drops. The issue that's seemingly repeated is that they are either signing older players to long contracts or generally bigger players to big contracts. The two big splashes from last season's free agency, Jonathan Marchessault [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/players/24-nashville-predators-in-24-days-jonathan-marchessault] and Steven Stamkos [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/players/24-nashville-predators-is-24-days-steven-stamkos], were both signed to long contracts as players in their mid-30s. Marchessault was unable to figure out a deal in Vegas as the Golden Knights didn't want a five-year contract with Marchessault being 38 years old by the time it expired. Skjei and even Juuse Saros [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/players/24-nashville-predators-in-24-days-juuse-saros]' contract came under fire due to their ages and decline in production. One Athletic article even pointed out Nashville's decision to prioritize extended Saros over developing Yaroslav Askarov, who was traded to the San Jose Sharks as an 11th overall pick in 2020. This summer, the Predators traded for Nicolas Hague [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/newly-signed-nashville-predators-defenseman-nic-hague-wants-to-add-offensive-depth-to-own-game], a bottom-two defenseman from the Golden Knights, and signed him to a 4-year, $5.5 million contract, with the expectation he'll play in the Predators' top defensive pairing. From the outside, it looked like another case of the Predators just signing a player that was "big" with Hague having a 6-feet-6-inch, 230-pound build. The Evangelista situation may be the tipping point, or even just the water coming right up to the brink of the pot. If he truly signifies that he wants to leave, the Predators will have his rights as a restricted free agent and will be able to dictate where he goes. At that point, the saving grace of the front office would be to bring in a player who his either equivalent to Evangelista or better. If this deal gets done, great. It'll likely be a contract that is either two or three years. However, that does leave a bittersweet taste of "why did it take the Predators this long to sign him?" This is a player that Trotz had called "the future," but it had taken over two months to strike a deal? This is a major crossroads that the Predators are at when it comes to front office confidence.
