The New Jersey Devils have always been a team tied to the rumor mill. Well, not always. At one point, when Lou Lamoriello was running the show, they were notoriously tight-lipped. The only information that left the building was the information meant to leave it. Most of the best stories out of Lamoriello came well after the transaction was already final.
Today, we hear just about everything about the Devils. They want to trade Dougie Hamilton? Yup, that’s true. They put Simon Nemec’s name out there? We’re finding out that’s true, too. Trade rumors and free agent interest come out like a leaky faucet, and the Devils' rumor mill is often as hot as any in the league.
However, right now, the rumor mill isn’t as spicy. With Fitzgerald out, we expected to hear names come out of the woodwork on the GM search. Yet, the conversation has been centered around a few names. Brendan Shanahan has been the most prominent name among potential President of Hockey Operations candidates.
For the GM job, which is assumed to be different jobs in this new era of Devils hockey, plenty of names have been thrown out there. However, the only confirmations have been that Florida Panthers executive Sunny Mehta is getting an interview, if that hasn’t happened already.
Other options that have been thrown out there include former captain and current Boston Bruins executive Jamie Langenbrunner. Hurricanes assistant GM and former Devils executive Tyler Dellow, and a few other names who have no business in this conversation (like Chuck Fletcher and Peter Chiarelli).
The one name that makes a lot of sense but scares the heck out of everyone is former Arizona Coyotes GM John Chayka. The guy on the other side of the Taylor Hall trade that brought Dawson Mercer to New Jersey (through a draft pick) has been available since he got in a ton of trouble with the league for holding illegal workouts for draft picks.
At the time, there were rumors that Chayka, who had already been fired by the Coyotes, was in talks with the Devils, who had fired Ray Shero earlier that year. After the violations became public, nothing came of the Devils’ connection to Chayka.
Fast forward six years later, and the Devils might be having buyer’s remorse. They chose to hire Tom Fitzgerald, who was the interim GM at the time. Chayka hasn’t had an official job in the league since 2020. Yet, he’s reportedly high up on the Devils’ list.
John Chayka is still a hot GM candidate despite six years out of the NHL
Unlike six years ago, the Devils might have competition for Chayka’s services. Reports now state that the Maple Leafs were “impressed” by Chayka in a recent interview.
Nick Kypreos on Real Kyper & Bourne says John Chayka came into the Leafs and impressed a few people. He also hinted that a hiring could happen soon, with some candidates progressing.
— Willyston Riellander (@nylanderthews) April 15, 2026
Multiple insiders have tied Chayka to the open GM searches. However, the Devils likely have the inside track because of their previous relationship. That doesn't mean they shouldn't move fast if he's their top candidate. These jobs will fill fast.
There seems to be two top candidates on the market with Chayka and Mehta. Both take an analytics approach to the job. Both will work well within the system, bringing high-quality data and analytics to a job that needs that approach. If the Devils pair an analytics-focus GM to pair with Shanahan, it makes all the sense in the world.
If the Devils lost Chayka to the Maple Leafs, it wouldn't be the end of the world. He's still a risk based on how his tenure in Arizona ended. He hasn't been in the league since 2020. Do we understand how much the league has changed in the past six years?
Still, if the Devils lose Chayka, they should go all in on Mehta to make sure they don't get left out in the cold of the GM search.
Add us as a preferred source on Google