James Nichols
The New Jersey Devils won the general manager free agent frenzy.
Sunny Mehta was named the Devils GM on Thursday evening. Mehta wanted the Devils. And the Devils wanted him.
The stars aligned with this one.
Mehta, an analytical guru, will bring a new approach to the position left by former GM Tom Fitzgerald. Said approach starts right away.
The Devils have a laundry list of things to address leading up to the 2026 NHL Draft and the Free Agent Frenzy.
So, where does he begin?
Decide on Sheldon Keefe & Coaching Staff
First and foremost, Mehta will have to make a decision on whether Sheldon Keefe will remain the head coach or not.
Keefe made a case for himself down the stretch of the 2025-26 regular season with a healthy Jack Hughes in the lineup. New Jersey went 14-10-1 after the Olympic break. Before Hughes’ injury, the Devils were 11-4-1. That’s a combined 104-point pace if you remove the sandwich of the season when Hughes was injured.
Did he lean into New Jersey’s strengths enough? Certainly not when Hughes was out, nor when he was less than 100%.
Which begs the question, can he get enough out of the rest of his roster if/when Hughes becomes injured again in the future?
That’s up to Mehta.
The rest of the coaching staff isn’t off the hook, either. The power play and penalty kill were middling. The goaltending, namely Jacob Markstrom was hit or miss—and most of the time, Markstrom missed.
Most, if not all of the supporting staff were working on expiring contracts. Mehta will soon evaluate the bodies of work, and decide whether to renew or not.
Solidify His Cabinet
Mehta comes in with assumed assistant general managers Martin Brodeur, Dan Mackinnon, and Kate Madigan.
It’s unlikely Brodeur—perhaps the most legenday Devil of all time—will be relieved of his duties. However, will Mehta want to surround himself with forward thinkers similar to himself?
These are decisions that could come later. We know there are vacant GM positions in Nashville, Toronto, and as of this morning, Vancouver.
With only so many positions to fill, candidates could remain in their current roles, or seek something new if they please.
Would Jamie Langenbrunner prefer to work in the organization he used to be the captain of? How about Brett Peterson? Does he want to continue working with Mehta after the work they did together with the Florida Panthers?
If there’s going to be true change, bringing in likeminded managers to Mehta would certainly shake things up.
Evaluate Scouting Department
Fitzgerald’s track record at the draft is subpar.
He did well with names such as Luke Hughes, Lenni Hameenaho, and potential stud goaltender Mikhail Yegorov.
Simon Nemec is still in question per his draft position, but that one looks like it could work out. Although, players like Logan Cooley and Cutter Gauthier—who just potted 40 goals, were there for the taking. There’s an arguement to be made he still missed at second overall in 2022.
And that’s exactly it. The sheer number swings and misses by Fitzgerald in crucial draft positions such as the ones when he selected Alexander Holtz and Chase Stillman have hurt today’s roster.
What’s depth scoring? Well, take Logan Stankoven over Stillman or Seth Jarvis over Holtz and perhaps you’ll find out.
Mehta needs scouts he can rely on to find the gems outside of the first handful of players. And he knows how to find them himself, advocating for Jesper Bratt when the Devils drafted him in 2016, when Mehta was the head of the analytics department.
Sort Out Key Pending Free Agents
The Devils have three key contracts they can address this summer.
Two, they don’t have a choice on. Arseny Gritsyuk is a pending restricted free-agent. He’s another one who chose to come to the Devils, and the Devils chose to have him. His first NHL season after making a name for himself in the KHL was superb. In fact, it went so well, even Jack Hughes see’s him as part of the core.
He loves New Jersey, and New Jersey loves him. It should be simple to sort out.
Perhaps a bit more difficult to sort out will be Nemec. The 22-year-old defenseman took a step forward this season, but you can still see where he lacks.
Offensively, the touch is there. He netted 11 goals in 68 games this season and found a level of clutch the Devils could use.
However, there’s still questions about his game defensively. Word is he could start by asking for the same contract as Luke. Surely, he won’t get that, but how low can Mehta get Nemec and his camp to go?
And, of course, the captain needs a new deal on July 1st, 2027. Does Mehta want to let that narrative linger all season long? Find out just how much Hischier does or doesnt want to commit to New Jersey and that decision soooner than later. The longer it drags out, the worse for the Devils.
Address Dougie Hamilton
And lastley, Mehta will have to address the Dougie Hamilton situation.
The Devils defenseman hasn’t spoken publicly since December 17th after speculation swirled he nixed a trade, and then the public trade allegations made by his agent.
It was later confirmed Hamilton denied a deal that would have sent him to the San Jose Sharks.
It seems quite clear the Hamilton is unhappy with the current situation. Can Mehta mend that?
Or, does that give him a reason to clear the $9 million cap hit that will give him the flexibility he needs to add a top-six forward?
One thing is certain. There needs to be clarity with Hamilton. Either he’s staying or going. Any uncertainty will only increase the tension.
