The Saturday afternoon game between the Los Angeles Kings and the New Jersey Devils feels secondary. The matchup on the ice isn’t the story, especially for the Devils after pulling off the blockbuster trade to land Connor Hellebuyck. 

The matchup off the ice is intriguing. The two general managers, Ken Holland and Sunny Mehta, are leading the two front offices. Holland is a reflection of the past, while Mehta is a preview of the future, and it’s on display in the outlooks of both teams.  

Holland is one of the most successful GMs in the league’s history. He built the Detroit Red Wings into a four-time Stanley Cup winner in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Even before he became a GM in the 1990s, he was a scout for the Wings and had an eye for talent, drafting and developing the stars who would lead the team to multiple titles. 

The problem is that Holland has been operating with the same mindset for the past four decades. He’s a patient executive, known for allowing his prospects to develop with more time in the farm system before joining the NHL team. He has a conservative approach and would prefer to make the safe move rather than the bold one. 

When it comes to the roster itself, Holland prefers experience and veterans over young players. It’s what led to his downfall with the Red Wings, mixed results with the Edmonton Oilers, and a Kings team that’s taken steps back in his two years at the helm. 

When he took over the Kings, he went after veterans to keep a contending window open, instead of retooling on the fly or leaning towards youth. He brought in Cody Ceci, Erik Haula, and Brian Dumoulin, three players in their 30s who are past their primes (plus Corey Perry and Mats Zuccarello, who are 41 and 39). It’s left the Kings looking slow and a step behind the rest of the league, especially to begin this season. 

The Devils are one of many teams that have hired a data-driven GM. Whether it’s Eric Tulsky, Mathieu Darche, John Chayka, Kyle Dubas, Julien Brisebois, or Kent Hughes, teams want innovative front offices that view team building differently. 

An interesting part of the approach for many of these GMs is the willingness to take a swing, make a big trade, and not worry about the consequences. Tulsky acquired Jake Guentzel, a rental at the 2024 trade deadline, who left that offseason but still kept making bold moves, including both adding and flipping Mikko Rantanen to land Logan Stankoven and Taylor Hall, two pivotal parts of the 2026 Cup-winning team. It’s aggressive but innovative. 

Mehta comes from the Florida Panthers, a team that won back-to-back championships. Interestingly enough, they only drafted and developed three players on those teams (Aleksander Barkov, Anton Lundell, and Aaron Ekblad). The rest of the roster was built through free agency or trades, like the Matthew Tkachuk move or the Sam Reinhart addition. Bill Zito knew the swings could backfire, but the upside was a Stanley Cup. Mehta has taken note with multiple trades in the offseason and the Hellebuyck blockbuster. 

The Devils GM is also willing to make the big trade while keeping the long-term plan intact. Despite being one of the more aggressive GMs in the league, he’s only dealt one of his top prospects, with Alexander Command going to the Winnipeg Jets as part of the Hellebuyck package. Otherwise, Mehta remains committed to building up the farm system, which will help the Devils down the road. 

Presumably, the Kings wanted Hellebuyck, an elite goaltender who could give them an edge in a playoff series. However, Holland lacked the pieces to make a trade and wasn’t willing to move enough to convince the Jets' front office (plus, they didn’t have the roster that would entice Hellebuyck to lift his no-trade clause). 

The Devils, meanwhile, are in a position to make this trade. Mehta turned them into a competitive group and added enough depth to put together a good enough package. Moreover, he was willing to add the players needed to get the deal over the finish line, whether it was Dawson Mercer, a young NHL-ready player with high upside, or Nico Daws, a young goaltender with plenty of potential. 

The two front offices of these teams are a glimpse into the past and future of the NHL. Holland took over the Kings in the 2025 offseason, yet they appear to be in a worse spot than they were when he was hired. Mehta took over in the offseason, and the Devils are moving full steam ahead to the top of the Eastern Conference.