The New Jersey Devils had a busy Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. On Tuesday night, the team announced an extension for the recently-traded for forward Luke Evangelista. The next day, the team announced the additions of Bryan McCabe and Jessica Campbell to the front office.
Evangelista’s New Deal
As for Evangelista, he was acquired from the Nashville Predators a couple weeks ago. Before Tuesday night’s unofficial midnight deadline, he signed with the Devils for an additional five years in the form of a deal with an average value (AAV) of $7.25 million. The 24-year-old is now under contract at $3 million in 2026-27 and $7.25 million from 2027 through 2032 bringing him to unrestricted free agency.
As you can see, the contract is heavily laced with signing bonuses. One of the reasons why the Devils ensured to get this deal before the clock struck midnight as deals with heavy reliance on signing bonuses are no longer permitted.
One thing to note is that Evangelista does not have any trade protection for the first two years of the deal, which is not surprising as players are not permitted to have trade protection while they are still in their “restricted free agent” years. He then gets a seven team no-trade clause in year three, then it bumps up to five in year four, and three teams in the final season.
Early returns by those in the media grade the extension very positively. According to Dom Lusczczyszyn’s model at the Athletic, he projects there to be strong surplus value across the life of the deal. He has his current market value at $9.1 million.
For a full breakdown on what the Devils can expect when it comes to Evangelista’s on-ice play, click here.
The Front Office Moves
In other news, the Devils have added to their front office staff. They announced on Wednesday that they hired Bryan McCabe and Jessica Campbell. McCabe will serve as the team’s vice president, prospect personnel/assistance general manager for the Utica Comets (AHL). Meanwhile, Campbell is being listed as manager, player personnel.
McCabe is highly regarded throughout the industry. He spent the last 14 seasons with the Florida Panthers in various player development roles, including director of player personnel. Like Mehta, he was an important part in the Panthers’ back-to-back Stanley Cup championship run in 2024 and 2025.
Campbell spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach with the Seattle Kraken. She was an assistant coach for the Kraken’s AHL team, Coachella, for two seasons prior. In 2019, she opened JC Power Skating, a skills and developmental school that has worked with numerous NHL players.