New Jersey Devils fans have been on a wild ride over the last four seasons. The team reached the playoffs in 2023 and 2025, but missed out in 2024 and 2026, and that up-and-down stretch helped spark a major front-office reset.
The Devils turned to Sunny Mehta as their new general manager, and early signs suggest he’s already making a strong impression. Mehta has moved Jacob Markstrom’s sizable contract, extended captain Nico Hischier and Arseny Gritsyuk, and added Anthony Mantha. He also brings a winning background from his time in a Florida Panthers front office that reached three straight Stanley Cup Finals from 2023 through 2025.
That kind of resume matters because New Jersey still has plenty of ground to cover before it can be called a true Stanley Cup contender. But Mehta’s approach, his experience and his commitment to analytics all point the Devils in the right direction.
The change from Tom Fitzgerald also says plenty about where Harris Blitzer Sports Entertainment wants to go. Fitzgerald drew heavy criticism for issues like handing out too many no-trade clauses, which made it tougher to move players, and for not landing major pieces at the trade deadline or in the offseason. With Mehta now in place, the message from ownership is hard to miss: they want winning teams.
That same urgency shows up with another HBSE-owned franchise, the Philadelphia 76ers. They made their own offseason splash by acquiring former NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown and signing LeBron James, who is arguably the greatest basketball player of all time. Those moves have pushed them into title-contender territory.
For Devils fans, the bigger picture is encouraging. The phrase that the team “have a bright future” has been repeated plenty, but there are real signs behind it.
Jack Hughes has elevated both his game and his profile after scoring the golden goal at the Winter Olympic Games. And while New Jersey and Philadelphia don’t always feel naturally connected, their shared ownership is now steering both teams toward the same goal: building playoff-contending rosters.
In Other News...
Devils Finally Have A Reason To Care About Utica Again
Utica has not been much more than a distant outpost for the Devils in recent seasons, but this summer gave the organization a reason to pay closer attention. Sunny Mehta, who oversees hockey operations in New Jersey, has pushed through a meaningful reset of the Comets roster and management structure, starting with the hiring of Braden Birch as assistant general manager and general manager in Utica.
The roster work has been just as notable, with the Comets adding several players who bring real AHL scoring potential while also keeping important pieces from last season in place. For New Jersey, the hope is straightforward: make Utica more competitive, more stable and more useful as a development stop for the next wave of NHL talent. [Read more 🡒]
Tomas Nosek Leaves Devils After Sudden Career Turnaround
Tomas Nosek is heading back to where it all started, signing with HC Dynamo Pardubice for the upcoming season after a long NHL run that included stops with the Devils and Panthers. For New Jersey, he was a veteran forward brought in for depth and experience, and for Florida he became part of a championship group, finishing with a Stanley Cup win in 2025.
The move sends Nosek back to Czechia and to the club where he launched his career, a full-circle decision that fits the stage he is at now. After more than 500 NHL games, the jump to Europe likely marks the final stretch of his professional playing days, closing out a career that took an unexpected late turn into a title run. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Suddenly Have A New Samu Salminen Dilemma
Samu Salminens next move is suddenly a real talking point for the Devils, because the forward is nearing free agency after four years of NCAA hockey and still has not signed with New Jersey. For a team that always has one eye on the pipeline and the other on the clock, that leaves his path hanging in the balance at just the moment his college career appears to be reaching its natural end.
A recent Colorado court ruling has made the situation more complicated by opening the door for some athletes who began college sports in the 2022-23 season and used up four years of eligibility to return to NCAA athletics. Salminen now has a wider menu of choices than the usual pro-hockey decision tree, with the ability to sign with any NHL team, go back to college hockey, or keep his career moving in Europe, and that uncertainty is exactly what makes his case worth watching for New Jersey. [Read more 🡒]