- New Devils GM Sunny Mehta says anything short of a Stanley Cup will leave him disappointed
- The New Jersey native won two Cups with Florida before taking the job in April
- Read below for Mehta on the roster, Sheldon Keefe and the identity he wants
Sunny Mehta is not easing into this.
The first-year Devils general manager told NHL.com’s Mike Morreale that he will treat any improvement on last season as progress, then said out loud that progress will not be enough for him.
“Any step that we take from last year is going to be considered a ‘success.’ But I guarantee you that unless we win a Stanley Cup, no matter what happens, I’m probably going to be disappointed.”
Mehta knows how that lands.
“I realize (wanting nothing more than a Stanley Cup) is irrational. But that’s just the difference between rationality and emotion.”
The emotion part tracks. He grew up in Wyckoff, New Jersey, played his high school hockey at Ramapo and watched this team win in 1995, 2000 and 2003. He also spent four seasons as the Devils’ director of hockey analytics under Lou Lamoriello and Ray Shero before he left.
Six years in Florida came next, the last three as assistant general manager and director of analytics, and the Panthers won the Cup in 2024 and 2025. New Jersey hired him on April 16.
What he took over finished seventh in the Metropolitan and missed the playoffs, the 11th miss in 14 seasons for the franchise.
His read on the problem was not a missing star. It was everything behind Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier, because the Devils were a good team with those two on the ice and a much worse one when they sat.
“We don’t really have a fourth line this year. We kind of have two first lines and two second lines. Our so-called bottom two lines could be top-six lines on other teams.”
The names he added say the same thing. Amadeus Lombardi, Declan Chisholm, Luke Evangelista and Anthony Mantha are middle-of-the-lineup upgrades, not headliners.
Mehta was also asked what he wants the Devils to look like, and he is not copying Florida.
“Looking at our roster, we should be a fast, skilled and intelligent team. We want to use our skating aggressively, both with and without the puck. Speed and skill do not apply only to creating offense. They can also be used to close space, disrupt plays and regain possession.”
On Sheldon Keefe, the review is positive with a shelf life warning attached. The two had never met before Mehta got the job and have worked together for a few months, most of it over the summer.
“His explanations are logical, and we generally see things similarly. It’s still early.”
Mehta helped build two champions in Florida and came home to a team that has not lifted anything since 2003. He has already told everyone how he plans to grade himself.
