It’s always sunny in Newark, New Jersey! On Thursday evening, the New Jersey Devils announced Sunny Mehta as their new general manager.

Devils Hired Their Guy

The Devils had Mehta, 48, high on their list of candidates. Mehta is a native of Wyckoff, New Jersey. In addition, he even grew up playing for varsity hockey at Ramapo High School.

Credit Image: © Mike Langish/Cal Sport Media

Mehta received his master’s degree in data science from the City University of New York in 2000. Moreover, he did not immediately turn his attention to hockey, but instead had a brief stint as a professional musician and poker player.

Mehta broke into the NHL in 2009, spending the beginning of his career as a consultant for the Washington Capitals and the then Phoenix Coyotes before being hired by New Jersey prior to the 2014-15 season.

In the summer of 2014, he was named the Director of Hockey Analytics, where he helped to establish the first full-time analytic department in the NHL. Mehta held this role for four seasons before parting ways with the organization.

A Track Record of Success

Sunny Mehta returns to the Devils after having much success with the Florida Panthers. In 2020, the Panthers hired him as the vice president of hockey strategy and Intelligence before being promoted to assistant GM in 2023. In three seasons as the AGM as Bill Zito’s right hand man, the Florida Panthers reached the Stanley Cup Finals in all three, winning back-to-back Cups in 2024 and 2025.

He will now become the sixth GM in franchise history. He will also serve the role of president of hockey operations, but it is unclear if the Devils are still looking for another hire to officially hold that title.

What This Means Going Forward

Mehta will take over the reins only 10 days after the Devils parted ways with former general manager Tom Fitzgerald. The roster will need a shakeup. Among the items to address is deciding who should lead from the bench. Furthermore, Sheldon Keefe mentioned after the firing of Fitzgerald that his status would be evaluated after a new GM was hired.

Nico Hischier needs a contract after the 2026-27 season. However, it is still to be seen if the Devils would be willing to part ways with their captain. The Devils would most likely listen to offers, especially if extension talks stall.

Finally, Mehta needs to address goaltending and the bottom-six, glaring problems Fitzgerald failed to fix for years.

The Devils missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the 11th time in the last 14 years. Fans of the organization are growing frustrated with the lack of results.

A press conference is scheduled for next Tuesday to introduce Mehta.

Main Photo: John Jones-Imagn Images