Nashville’s “Middle Child”: Luke Evangelista Finding His Sweet Spot with the Predators
Bridging veterans and rising talent, Evangelista embraces his unique role on a team pushing for the playoffs.
Back home in Toronto, Luke Evangelista grew up the middle child bookended by two sisters. At age 24, his hockey career with the Nashville Predators after the March 6 trade deadline may feel eerily similar. Evangelista has become the forward group’s “middle child”.
“It’s kind of a funny term. I kind of like ‘middle child’,” Andrew Brunette said.
Evangelista has played 241 career NHL games. After Barry Trotz traded Michael McCarron (370 career games) and Cole Smith (281 career games), Evangelista stands alone as the forward bookended between veterans with 550 plus games and young players with 110 games or fewer.
While the joke about middle children is that they are often overlooked or neglected, that’s not been the case this season. Evangelista appreciates the upside of where he falls on this forward roster.
“I’m kind of in that sweet spot where I still feel like I’m learning every day from the older guys…and then also transitioning to that role with some of these younger guys where I can kind of keep a look out for them,” Evangelista said.
Much of Evangelista’s ice time this season has been with the “older brothers” of the team. Accordng to Natural Stat Trick, Evangelista has spent the majority of his minutes playing with veterans Steven Stamkos, Ryan O’Reilly, and Filip Forsberg. The line of Forsberg, O’Reilly, and Evangelista has been one of Nashville’s most dangerous, leading the team in both expected goals for and high danger chances. Evangelista, O’Reilly, and Stamkos have been together through Nashville’s recent four game win streak.
The opportunity for consistent minutes with the vets isn’t lost on Evangelista.
“You play top line minutes with Factor for example. You kind of got a responsibility to contribute offensively.”
Evangelista is contributing. Currently he has 39 assists, just one behind O’Reilly for the team high. Twenty-three of Evangelista’s assists are primary.
Ryan O’Reilly has been a big influence. Evangelista played just 24 NHL games before O’Reilly joined the Predators in 2023, so he has grown up in the NHL next to the Stanley Cup, Conn Smythe, Selke, and Lady Byng winner.
When asked what the most important thing he’s learned from a player like O’Reilly, Evangelista was hard pressed to find a succinct answer.
“It’s tough to say just one,” Evangelista said.
“I think one of the first things I noticed about him was, in terms of his game, his compete level and his puck battles. I think he’s probably the best I’ve ever seen in terms of that.”
“I think also just having him around in practices. He’s running drills before practice for us. He’s running drills after practice for us.”
If media members want to talk to O’Reilly or Evangelista after practice, they know to be patient. Those two are usually last off the ice.
Brunette believes the veterans surrounding Evangelista can help him take yet another step in his development.
“He can learn from our veterans just the moment, these big moments and big games and to see it and live it,” Brunette said. “There’s some that he grabbed and some that he let go, and how do you wake up the next morning and grab it back?”
This next stretch of hockey will be a testing ground for Evangelista’s growth. The Predators currently hold the second wildcard spot. The final twelve games of the regular season are critical if Nashville wants to play bonus hockey.
This wouldn’t be Evangelista’s first crack at the postseason. He played six games in the 2023-24 playoffs against the Vancouver Canucks.
“I’m so glad I got that experience,” Evangelista said of that playoff series.
“It’s a different game, it’s a different atmosphere, different energy. It was such a valuable experience for me. It’s such tight hockey. The margin of error - any error - can come back and bite you. It was a huge experience, and I’m glad I got that under my belt.”
Even with almost 250 NHL games to his name and plenty of ice time with the older veterans, Evangelista doesn’t feel that far removed from the younger players on the team. He was in a similar position just three seasons ago.
“I’ve been in their shoes,” Evangelista said of the younger players on the roster now.
“My first call up, I came right up after the deadline. We were making a playoff push. It was a very similar situation.”
“[I’m] kind of transitioning to that role with some of these younger guys where I can keep a look out for them and offer them some advice or kind of help them,” Evangelista said.
Nashville’s “middle child” is positioned well to learn from the veterans around him and provide support for the newer faces in the room.
For Andrew Brunette, there is another responsibility that Evangelista must focus on in this final stretch of hockey.
“He’s had a great year. Now he’s got to finish his great year.”
Tonight Evangelista and the Predators will work towards a strong finish as they host the San Jose Sharks, a Pacific team desperate to challenge Nashville for a wildcard spot.
Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 pm CT at Bridgestone Arena. The game will be broadcast on FanDuel Sports Network, and 102.5 The Game Nashville will have the radio call.
