On April 21, New Jersey Devils and WFAN play-by-play announcer Matt Loughlin introduced Sunny Mehta as the sixth general manager in team history.
Wearing a navy blue suit with a white button-down and carrying a notebook, it was Mehta’s first formal introduction.
A handful of Devils players, team staff, media, and select fans gathered outside of sections 18-20 on the East Concourse of the Prudential Center. Sitting next to Devils’ Managing Partner David Blitzer, Mehta fielded questions for roughly 37 minutes. Polished and well spoken, he enamored the fanbase in New Jersey and arguably earned back some of the trust that his predecessor had lost.
Officially hired on April 16, 2026, Mehta spent his early days conducting evaluations before announcing his first organizational change on May 1, when the team did not renew the contracts of Dan MacKinnon, Senior Vice President, Assistant General Manager, and Chuck Fletcher, Senior Advisor to the President, Hockey Operations, and General Manager. MacKinnon also served as the general manager of the team’s American Hockey League affiliate, Utica Comets.
10 days later, Mehta made his first addition to the organization, hiring Braden Birch as assistant general manager. Additionally, he will take over as the Comets' general manager.
“Braden will be an extremely valuable addition to our senior hockey operations group,” said Mehta in the press release. “His blend of on-ice experience, management background, and intellect will serve him well in his new role. Braden will work to bolster all areas of our operation, and I look forward to him joining our existing front office, where his personality and work ethic will fit in excellently.”
Birch worked with Mehta as part of the Florida Panthers’ front office that helped win back-to-back Stanley Cups. He has spent the past 12 years with Florida, working as Director of Hockey Operations and Salary Cap Management for the past five years.
Mehta’s next task was his coaching staff.
It was recently announced that goaltending coach Dave Rogalski has been relieved of his duties and that assistant coach Sergei Brylin will take on a new role within the organization. The search has begun for replacements for those roles. Sheldon Keefe will return as the head coach, and as The Hockey News was told, “No other changes will be made on our end” regarding assistant coaches Brad Shaw and Jeremy Colliton.
Key Upcoming Dates
- May 31 – June 6: 2026 NHL Scouting Combine at LECOM Harborcenter, Buffalo, N.Y.
- June 15*: Deadline for first club-elected salary arbitration notification (5 p.m. ET) (* later of June 15 or 48 hours after the conclusion of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final).
- June 26 and 27: The 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft will take place at KeyBank Center in Buffalo. The first round is June 26 (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS), with Rounds 2-7 on June 27 (11 a.m. ET; NHLN, ESPN+, SN).
- July 1: Free agency begins at 12 p.m. ET.
- July 5: Deadline for player-elected salary arbitration notification (5 p.m. ET).
- July 6: Deadline for second club-elected salary arbitration notification (5 p.m. ET).
- July 20 – Aug. 1: Salary arbitration hearings held.
- Aug. 3: Deadline for salary arbitration decisions to be rendered.
Devils’ Unrestricted & Restricted Agents
Potential unrestricted free agents (UFA): Evgenii Dadonov (F); Zack MacEwen (F); Dennis Cholowski (D).
Potential restricted free agents (RFA): Paul Cotter (F); Arseny Gritsyuk (F); Simon Nemec (D); Nico Daws (G).
Notable players from Utica: Xavier Parent (RFA); Brian Halonen (UFA); Nathan Légaré (UFA-G6); Marc McLaughlin (UFA-G6); Topias Vilén (RFA); Colton White (UFA); Jakub Málek (RFA).
Additional News & Notes
- Mehta wasted little time and quickly reached out to Nico Hischier’s agent, Allain Roy, for a preliminary discussion regarding the Devils’ captain, who is eligible to sign an extension with the team on July 1 and is set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2027.
Mehta made it clear during his introductory press conference that he believes in the current foundation of this Devils team and understands what will be required to turn this team into a Stanley Cup champion.
“I am extremely optimistic about this team,” he said. “We have a lot of talented players, and I really, truly believe that these talented players are about to hit an inflection point and get over that hurdle. It is my job to make sure that this roster is consistently flush with the necessary amount of talent to be a championship team, and I intend to do that.
"There is no doubt in my mind that there will be times when the fans disagree with me,” he continued. “And there will be times when they question my decisions, but the things they will never be able to question are my sincerity, my passion, and my loyalty to this franchise.”
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