The New Jersey Devils made the move most wanted, but few expected them to make. Sunny Mehta helped Bill Zito bring two championships to the Florida Panthers years after he broke into the league with the New Jersey Devils. He’s known as an analytical mind who can find talent from a mile away, evaluate their impact both from a draft standpoint and with current veteran talent, and he can read numbers and understand what they actually project.
Frankly, Mehta is what hockey needs in 2026.Â
The Devils made the right move after letting go of Tom Fitzgerald near the end of the season. Mehta was one of the hot commodities on the market, but the Devils made the move to beat out the Toronto Maple Leafs and Nashville Predators. They also made the move before any other team could make a move on their front office.Â
"This is a dream come true for a New Jersey kid, who grew up watching Devils’ practices just 20 minutes away in Totowa. After meeting with David Blitzer, Josh Harris, Bob Myers, and other members of the organization, I knew this was the place I wanted to be."Sunny Mehta via NHL.com
We hear a ton about people who grew up in New Jersey returning home to play for the hometown team. Now, the person in charge of the hometown team is an NJ kid himself.
The Devils' ownership was likely surprised by how in demand this job was, and they saw an opportunity to give someone a chance to be great. There were some retreads in rumors, including former Arizona Coyotes general manager John Chayka, and former Devils' captain Jamie Langenbrunner was also reportedly in the mix, but Mehta was the right choice the second Fitzgerald's tenure ended.
"We quickly realized this job was in high demand and were incredibly fortunate to meet with many qualified candidates. Sunny’s familiarity with our organization and experience with a two-time Stanley Cup-winning team are characteristics that will serve as a foundation for future success. Our expectations are to be a perennial playoff team and compete for the Stanley Cup, and I look forward to Sunny leading us there."David Blitzer, Devils co-owner
Many might be surprised with the order of operations. Some believe that a President of Hockey Operations would be hired, who would then hire the GM. The leader in the clubhouse for that role appears to be Brendan Shanahan.
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