The Vancouver Canucks head into Saturday afternoon's game against the New Jersey Devils following a brutal loss. They began their East Coast road trip with a 7-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, and the brutal defeat was a reminder of the talent gap between the best teams in the NHL and the worst. 

It was also a grim reminder of the growing pains that come with a rebuild. The Canucks are leaning into one after years of kicking the can down the road, and the new general manager, Ryan Johnson, will have time to build up the team. They’ll play competitive hockey, especially with Manny Malhotra as their head coach, but they’ll have brutal losses like the one on Thursday night, and those losses both pile up and take a toll on the team. 

When Sunny Mehta was hired as the New Jersey Devils GM, many wondered which path he’d take. Would he also lean into a rebuild, or would he attempt to make the team competitive with a core to do so? Just a few months into his tenure, it’s clear he wants to avoid a rebuild, at least for now. 

Mehta took over the Devils front office this offseason and went to work. The offseason moves suggested a desire to bring the team back into playoff contention and make them competitive right away. 

A rebuilding team doesn’t sign Anthony Mantha to a two-year deal. The 31-year-old winger is a scorer who adds size to the top six. Likewise, Evan Rodrigues was acquired as a veteran presence in the middle six. While Luke Evangelista and Declan Chisholm can become long-term pieces for the Devils, both were brought in this offseason to help right away.

The offseason moves allow Mehta to see what the core is capable of doing when the right players are around them. Jack Hughes has a power forward who can score on his wing with Mantha, while Nico Hischier has a playmaker who is willing to skate to the dirty areas on his line with Evangelista. 

How good is the Devils core? What is their upside? Can they not only make the playoffs but go on a deep playoff run when the depth is there as well? Mehta will wait at least one season before making significant changes. 

Successful rebuilds take time and plenty of losses. The Montreal Canadiens and San Jose Sharks are viewed as two teams who have taken the right approach. However, for both teams, they had to endure a lot of losing seasons, seasons where the team was in last place, and the arena was empty. 

In Montreal, it meant that the fans were angry and frustrated. In San Jose, it meant the fans were disinterested, turning the Sharks into an invisible team in the Bay Area. Most ownership groups hate rebuilds regardless of the situation but will allow one reluctantly, knowing the long-term reward. 

The Canadiens and Sharks slowly added top-five, even number-one overall picks to the roster. Fast forward and both teams are filled with star-caliber players. The Canucks are willing to go down that road with Johnson drafting in the top five while Malhotra builds up the culture as the coach. They took Caleb Malhotra with the third pick in the 2026 draft and are expected to draft another elite talent in the 2027 draft with the hopes that both players become pillars of a great team in a few seasons. 

The Devils want to avoid that route while they still can. Mehta became the GM one year after Mathieu Darche took over the New York Islanders and retooled them on the fly. Likewise, Mehta saw what happened with the Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Washington Capitals, and knows that it’s possible to retool without multiple losing seasons in a row. 

While Mehta has the time to rebuild the Devils, he’d prefer a retool. It started with the moves this summer and continued with the urge to revamp the prospect pool and the American Hockey League team. The Bruins, Capitals, and Penguins all had great AHL teams in recent years that gave the NHL teams enough reinforcements to remain competitive. The Devils hope the same thing happens with the Utica Comets; certainly, it’s Mehta’s desire as his vision is put into place. 

The Devils have a high upside, but they’ve underachieved so far. It’s only three games, but many of the recurring issues from previous seasons are costing this team as well. If the Devils miss the playoffs again, the question must be asked: can this team win as it’s currently constructed? 

The first issue Mehta will address is behind the bench. Sheldon Keefe is on the hot seat, and his style hasn’t gotten the most out of the Devils. It’s possible that they need a coach who has a different approach, one that brings energy back to the roster. 

Then there are questions about the core. Can the Bratt, Hischier, and Hughes trio carry the Devils on a deep playoff run? If not, what is the ceiling for the Devils? If they keep coming up short, Mehta might have to rebuild, knowing it can pay off. 

A teardown is tougher for Mehta to attempt, with multiple no-trade clauses and immovable contracts. That said, it’s a path Mehta might take that allows the Devils to have high-end draft picks. The Canucks are a grim reminder of why Mehta wants to avoid it, but in a few years, they might be the case in point for why it’s worth it.