Mehta's analytical approach as general manager already reshaping Devils

Sunny Mehta isn't easing into his first summer as general manager of the New Jersey Devils. 

He came home with a plan, making it clear almost immediately that the Devils were going to be more aggressive, more decisive and far less willing to wait for the window to open on its own.

"All I can really do is focus on what I can control, and I have strong belief that we are on the right path," Mehta said Thursday. "I have strong belief that the decision-making process that we're starting to put in place here is something I believe in and something that I'm really excited to display in terms of the results on the ice.

"Having said that, at the end of the day, talk is just talk. The only thing that matters is winning, so no matter what I say, none of it really matters unless we win."

That's a welcomed approach for a fanbase that has spent too many recent seasons watching a talented young core fall short. It missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the sixth time in eight seasons in 2025-26.

"I think when I came in, there was a checklist of things in terms of getting Nico Hischier re-signed, getting Arseny Gritsyuk re-signed, obviously the Simon Nemec trade was a big decision that we were able to get done, and then the Jacob Markstrom trade was big," Mehta said. "It's a combination of being both excited about what we've done and also somehow never feeling like we're done."

The native of Wyckoff, New Jersey, who was hired April 16, arrived with a unique resume as a New Jersey kid who grew up watching Devils practices in Totowa and had worked in the organization as director of hockey analytics. He spent the past six seasons with the Florida Panthers, including three as assistant general manager and head of analytics, helping build a team that won back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2024 and 2025.

Over the past few weeks, though, Mehta has looked like more than an analytics executive. He's conjuring up memories as that former poker player, knowing when to push his chips to the middle.

"(Roster) depth is two-fold," he said. "I think depth is something that was very much a priority and a goal for us, but there's also the aspect of making bets on guys. (Acquiring center Amadeus) Lombardi (in a trade with the Detroit Red Wings on June 25) for example ... Yes, it's depth, but to me it's more than that because it's also a bet on him being more than depth. I think back to my time with the Panthers, whether it was (forward Carter) Verhaeghe or (defenseman Gustav) Forsling, there's a certain point in time, and I think the Devils are in this spot right now, where we need to take some chances on guys, we need to find upside, we need to find hidden gems. 

"I'm not saying that's easy. There's a lot of luck involved and we got lucky in Florida, too. It's not like we knew all those players were going to achieve those ceilings, but we thought they were smart bets, and that's what we're trying to do here." 

Indeed. Mehta is aggressively reshaping the Devils, with the realization New Jersey's young core is not here to be admired forever. It's here to win now.

Nico Hischier signed a five-year, $58.5 million contract extension on Wednesday, keeping him in New Jersey through the heart of his career. For Hischier, the decision was about more than money. It was about finishing what the Devils captain started with the team that selected him No. 1 in the 2017 NHL Draft.

"I want to be part of the solution and not run away," Hischier said. 

It's a comment that may become one of the defining themes of Mehta's first summer.

"The plan that I gave to Nico is really no different than what I've said publicly," Mehta said. "It's got to start with a solid decision-making process, and my job is to get talent, keep this roster flush with talent, and I have ideas on how to do that. I think we implemented many of those ideas in Florida with success. In terms of Nico not wanting to run away ... I completely agree. 

"If he had decided to wait a year and become a free agent, could he have gotten potentially more money? Very possible. But from the get-go, it was obvious to me that wasn't even a thought for him. He wants nothing more than to win as a Devil and it's a great precedent to set."

Mehta hasn't simply talked about patience, development and internal growth but has moved major pieces, prioritized flexibility, competitiveness and a clearer identity.

Mehta traded goalie Markstrom and forward Angus Crookshank to the Panthers for forwards Evan Rodrigues, Jesper Boqvist and Ben Steeves on Tuesday. The GM said he feels now's the time for goalie prospect Nico Daws to win a spot.

Markstrom had been brought in to stabilize the crease, but after a difficult season in which he posted an .883 save percentage, Mehta changed course. The Devils finished 27th in the NHL with 2.76 goals per game last season, and Rodrigues gives them a responsible, playoff-tested forward who helped Florida win the Stanley Cup in 2024 and '25. Boqvist, a former Devils' draft pick (No. 36, 2017 NHL Draft), returned as a familiar depth piece with speed and versatility. Steeves is another young offensive option after a strong season with Charlotte of the American Hockey League.

"(Acquiring Rodrigues in the trade) was a key piece for me," Mehta said. "Evan is one of those guys who, to some extent, has kind of been underrated his entire career. In a lot of ways, this is sort of the next logical step in his career, where he's been an important cog in this machine down in Florida and now he's going to come here as one of our leaders."

Rodrigues said: “I think my leadership and the experience and the work ethic (are things Mehta appreciated in my game). I think we both know playing against (New Jersey) that they have a ton of talent, a ton of speed, and are very dangerous. The have big defensemen who are hard to play against who can be in your face. At the end of the day, it's a long season and you have to find ways to recover properly, and do all the right things.”

Mehta said he's pleased with how things have gone so far, but knows his work is far from over.

"Rome wasn't built in a day, and I'm not saying by any means that this is somehow done ... it's always a work in progress," he said. "When I came in here, there were good pieces to start with and I'm pretty happy with what we've done in terms of adding around that. We want to get the best players at the best prices to fit under the cap and give ourselves the best sort of chance to win."