One of the questions heading into the 2026-27 season for the New Jersey Devils is where Luke Evangelista will play in the lineup. Certainly, it was the lingering question after first-time general manager Sunny Mehta acquired him at the start of September and then extended him a few weeks later.

The initial assumption was that he’d play alongside Jack Hughes and his speed-based line. Likewise, Evangelista is still an unknown as a September addition and could start on the third line and work his way up. 

So far, Evangelista has played on the Nico Hischier line with Timo Meier on the other wing. The combination has worked in preseason and is expected to remain intact when the season begins on Thursday. 

Hischier is the do-it-all center on the Devils. Not the big threat offensively like Hughes, but he can score, set up his linemates, check, and defend. Meier is the power forward who finishes scoring chances near the net, hoping to hit the 40-goal mark for the second time in his career.

Evangelista is the playmaker on the right wing. He slides into that line and makes it work as he sets up Hischier and Meier for scoring chances while adding some speed to the trio. While his play contrasts, it gives the Devils a little bit of everything in their top six.

It's something every coach must address in their lineup. Do they stack the same players on the same lines or mix them up? For now, the Devils have a mix of everything in their top six and their entire forward unit for that matter.  

The other key is that the Devils have a mix of skill, speed, size, and physicality on their lines. This not only applies to the Hischier line but also to the Hughes line, with Jesper Bratt, a highlight waiting to happen, on one wing and Anthony Mantha, a powerful scoring presence, on the other. 

Evangelista was always a playmaker first, someone who made the skaters around him better. It’s why he’s coming off a 44-assist season and is expected to take a big step forward with the Devils. 

With Hischier and Meier, he has the right players around him to not only make the most of his playmaking but also unlock his scoring touch. He found the back of the net twice in Saturday’s preseason game against the Rangers and, thanks to his line, he got plenty of open looks in the exhibition games. 

With the Nashville Predators, Evangelista was a playmaker by default. Playing with Steven Stamkos makes any skater a pass-first player. However, he always had a scoring touch, something fans of the London Knights will be quick to note when he scored over 70 goals in three seasons with the Ontario Hockey League team. Now he’s starting to lean into it with the Devils. 

There's also a chance that Evangelista would have been great regardless of his linemates. He's a young winger who is starting to hit his stride as a pro and has the upside to become a star. The only question for the Devils is where to play him to get the most out of the lineup. So far, it's on the Hischier line. 

On the Hughes line, Mantha is the slower skater who is struggling to catch up. It makes sense since he’s a bigger skater who is known for finishing scoring chances in the offensive zone. However, it could be an issue down the road.

Hughes needs skaters who can keep up with him. Bratt does, and Evangelista can. If Mantha can't and he becomes a weak link on that line, then the coaching staff must address it. So, maybe head coach Sheldon Keefe chances things up and puts the 24-year-old winger on that line. 

The ultimate question is what gives the Devils two lines that can run up the score on teams. For now, this combination does. The other one allows Keefe to line match if needed and could give the team one great line that is tough to stop. But if that’s not ideal, he will keep things as is.