On the last day that teams could sign players to contract extensions for a maximum amount of eight years, the Devils did the next best thing. Two weeks after acquiring Luke Evangelista from the Nashville Predators, they signed him to a five-year extension worth $36.25 million. Starting the following season, Evangelista will have a $7.25 million cap hit.

Unlike a few general managers who went overboard on max deals before the number decreases to seven officially today on September 16 as part of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, Devils GM Sunny Mehta was able to get Evangelista to take a little less over a fair term. It’s a wise move that’ll keep the play-making forward at a lower number that should benefit the Devils. The 24-year-old is signed through 2032.

Getting Evangelista done before training camp begins later today is smart. Now, the Devils can focus on the upcoming season. With less preseason games, things should happen more rapidly. During camp, they’ll play four exhibition games starting with the New York Islanders on Sept. 20. That’ll be followed by facing the New York Rangers both at home and on the road. They’ll conclude with the Islanders on Sept. 26 before the season opener in Newark against the Philadelphia Flyers on October 1.

The Devils already completed a two-game series with the Islanders featuring prospects. That included defenseman Anton Silaev, who’ll look to impress the coaching staff in camp. Along with the forgotten Seamus Casey, they’ll be two players to keep a close eye on.