The 2025-26 National Hockey League (NHL) season is right around the corner with rookie camps across the league beginning soon and training camps shortly thereafter. The Edmonton Oilers enter the season with plenty of question marks as the team said goodbye to familiar faces upfront such as; Corey Perry, Jeff Skinner, Viktor Arvidsson, Connor Brown, and Evander Kane.
The team seems set on replacing these players with some interesting young rookies like Matt Savoie, big free agent signing David Tomasek, and the newly acquired Ike Howard. They will all surely be excellent adds to the team with Savoie possibly finding himself in the calder conversation and Howard recently being listed amongst the best prospects in the league.
However, according to reports by NHL insider David Pagnotta, there seems to be a big divide between the Nashville Predators and their top restricted free agent (RFA) Luke Evangelista. It is unknown what the exact hold-up is but typically, a divide this big which is risking a player missing training camp is due to the team and player disagreeing on both contract length and salary.
Evangelista could be a great addition for Oilers
Originally drafted in the Second round, 42nd overall at the 2020 NHL Draft by the Predators, Evangelista has been a highly regarded young player for years. He has spent the past two and a half seasons up in the NHL with the Predators and has shown flashes of brilliance. In 24 games in 2022-23, he recorded 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) and followed this up with a respectable rookie season, scoring 16 goals and 23 assists for 39 points through 80 games.
He then showed some signs of stagnation, recording 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) in his first 39 games before being placed on injured reserve in January due to an always descriptive “lower-body injury”. Following his absence, he finished off the season red hot, recording six goals and 12 assists for 18 points in his final 29 games.
Reading further reports, it is believed that the Predators want to buy-low and lock him in on a long-term deal. General manager Barry Trotz went on record stating the hang up was the two sides trying to "figure out a term that fits." He also referred to Evangelista “the future” of the Predators team.
Given the distance between both parties, it seems likely that Evangelista would want to take a short term “bridge deal” to bet on himself and cash in more at a later time with the NHL salary cap expected to rise. If the two sides are unable to come to an agreement, they could be forced to explore the trade market in which case, Oilers general manager Stan Bowman should be all over it.
At only 23 years old, the team could acquire a proven young player who is guaranteed to be under team control for the next four seasons and likely willing to take a cheaper “prove it” deal for the time being. Especially if the latter half of this past season is closer to his true level of production, he could be a 50 point player or better in the Oilers top six.
There is the slight issue of tradeable assets, something that the Oilers definitely do not have an abundance of. However, the team has their first round pick in two of the next three drafts (2027 and 2028) while having all of their second round picks. The team has also seen some legitimate upgrades to their prospect pool and may be able to create a package based off of that.
It will all depend on whether or not the Predators decide to part ways with their high value young forward but if they do, the Oilers should be all over it.