NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — The New Jersey Devils have acquired Luke Evangelista in a trade with the Nashville Predators.
The teams announced the deal Tuesday. New Jersey sent a conditional first-round pick and its own second-rounder in 2028 to Nashville for the 24-year-old forward.
Evangelista is coming off setting career highs with 44 assists and 56 points while also scoring 12 goals last season. He has one more year on his contract at a salary cap hit of $3 million.
“We know Luke is a good, young player who has endeared himself to our fans, so this decision was not made lightly,” Predators general manager Chris MacFarland said. “At the same time, we’ve explored all possibilities in pursuit of making our team better moving forward. This trade ... provides us with flexibility from a roster and salary cap standpoint to make additional improvements to our team; and creates a space for the promising young wingers within our organization to compete for, and earn, an NHL job."
Evangelista has 143 points in 259 regular season and playoff games in the league. Acquiring him is the latest move for the Devils by first-time GM Sunny Mehta.
The conditional pick Nashville is getting is Colorado's. If the Avalanche do not transfer their 2027 pick to Toronto or the choice in '28 is in the top 10, the Predators get their pick in 2029.
See AP’s full NHL coverage here
FILE - Nashville Predators right wing Luke Evangelista (77) celebrates after scoring a goal in the first period of an NHL hockey game, on Nov. 11, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The California Assembly opted not to vote Tuesday on legislation meant to help wildfire victims, deciding at the last minute to push back a decision on a bill that some Democrats, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, said wouldn't meaningfully address the financial challenges caused by catastrophic blazes.
The proposal would have created a program to ensure that fire victims got paid more quickly, banned hedge funds from profiting from wildfire claims and barred utility executives from receiving bonuses if their company’s equipment sparked a blaze that ends up damaging or destroying more than 500 buildings.
It came after they rejected an ambitious proposal by Newsom that would have limited electric companies’ financial liability for fires sparked by their equipment.
After deciding not to vote Tuesday, Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas said lawmakers would revisit the issue this fall.
“The proposal before us does not yet deliver the relief, accountability or meaningful reform that Californians deserve,” the Democrat said in a statement. “So, we are going back to work — and we will not stop until we have done everything in our power to deliver real results.”
Newsom's plan would have reduced the amount utilities had to pay some victims and barred insurance companies from suing electrical companies to get reimbursed for damages paid out to homeowners. One of the goals was to stabilize the state’s notoriously high electricity rates by protecting utilities from the full financial impacts of wildfires.
The governor said the last-minute compromise he made with lawmakers would have had some benefits for wildfire victims, but that it failed to make necessary, sweeping changes to tackle the question of who covers the cost of fires ignited by utility equipment.
“We need comprehensive structural reform to protect the state from catastrophic fires, prioritize wildfire survivors, hold utility executives accountable, and provide reliable, affordable power to all Californians,” Newsom said in a statement.
Monique Limón, the president pro tempore of the state Senate, said she was disappointed that the deal wasn't passed Tuesday.
“Thousands of survivors made their voices clear — they needed reform to ensure the next wildfire does not continue to cause the mental and financial stress that recent disasters have placed on Californians,” the Democrat said in a statement.
The question of who should cover the cost of utility-sparked fires has persisted throughout Newsom’s tenure, which began after the most destructive wildfire in state history. He signed a law in 2019 — his first year in office — that created a $21 billion fund, paid for by utility shareholders and ratepayers, to help utilities pay for wildfire damages if they take certain safety measures. He and lawmakers agreed last year to supplement the pot of money with another $18 billion fund.
Newsom's failure to get his full plan this year passed by the end of the session marked a rare loss for the governor, who has often found support for his policy wishes in the Democratic-led Legislature. It comes as he wraps his final session before leaving office in January.
Joy Chen, executive director of Every Fire Survivor’s Network, a group of victims of the 2025 Los Angeles-area fires, said the deal that fell apart Tuesday would have been “a first step” to addressing wildfire prevention and holding utilities accountable when their equipment ignites a fire. It was much better for victims than Newsom's original proposal, she said.
Pacific Gas & Electric, which filed for bankruptcy in 2019 after it faced claims from a devastating Northern California blaze started by the utility's equipment, and Edison International, Southern California Edison's parent company, were disappointed with the deal. They said in a letter to lawmakers that the bill would have failed to stabilize rates for Californians and wouldn't provide “durable, long-term solutions” for compensating victims, sustaining the state's wildfire fund, or managing utilities' financial risk.
Lawmakers passed a bill Monday that would create the nation’s first standards for testing and cleaning up lead, asbestos and other toxic contaminants inside homes after a wildfire.
Assemblymember John Harabedian, a Democrat who wrote the bill, said it was born out of the deadly 2025 Eaton Fire that swept through Altadena, which he represents. He said it’s important for lawmakers to “figure out very quickly how to protect wildfire survivors and rebuild communities,” and the bill is one way to do that.
Associated Press reporter Dorany Pineda in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
FILE - California Gov. Gavin Newsom attends the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials conference in Los Angeles, July 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
Senate President pro Tempore Monique Limón, right, listens to speakers with, from right, state Senators Aisha Wahab, Sabrina Cervantes and Laura Richardson during a floor session in the Senate Chambers at the Capitol, Monday, Aug. 31, 2026, in Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin, right, talks with Assemblymember Steve Bennett during an Assembly session at the Capitol, Monday, Aug. 31, 2026, in Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
