It's safe to say that the past four seasons have been a rollercoaster for New Jersey Devils fans. They reached the playoffs in 2023 and 2025, but also missed the postseason in 2024 and 2026. The front office made a big change by hiring Sunny Mehta to take the reins as general manager.
His predecessor, Tom Fitzgerald, faced a lot of scrutiny, ranging from offering too many no-trade clauses (which made it difficult to deal players away) to failing to land big assets during the trade deadline or offseason. However, Mehta seems to be winning the fan base over early in his tenure. He unloaded Jacob Markstrom's sizable contract, extended captain Nico Hischier and Arseny Gritsyuk, and signed Anthony Mantha. Mehta was a part of a Florida Panthers front office that appeared in three straight Stanley Cup Finals (2023-2025), so he definitely knows what it takes to win.
What's the Main Similarity Between the Devils and 76ers?
Even though the Devils still have a lot of work to do before they become legitimate Stanley Cup contenders, it seems like Mehta's resume, experience, and commitment to analytics have the team moving in the right direction.
After moving on from Fitzgerald, it's clear: Harris Blitzer Sports Entertainment is committed to putting together winning teams this offseason. If you need more evidence, look at another franchise they own: the Philadelphia 76ers. They, too, made a splash this offseason by acquiring former NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown and signing LeBron James, who is arguably the greatest basketball player of all time. Those moves have catapulted them to title contenders.
Fans should be excited for the future of both teams. It's been repeated ad nauseam that the Devils "have a bright future", but some of their players are continuing to take strides. Jack Hughes has taken his play and fame to new levels after scoring the golden goal at the Winter Olympic Games. Sometimes it's hard to find a clear connection between New Jersey and Philadelphia, but these two HBSE-owned teams seem to have a lot in common in their efforts to build playoff-contending teams.
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