The New Jersey Devils have a new general manager: Sunny Mehta.

The club announced the hiring on Thursday, bringing him back to New Jersey after helping the Florida Panthers win back-to-back Stanley Cups. Mehta, 48, got his start in the hockey world writing at Irreverant Oiler Fans, an analytics-pioneering blog that has also sparked careers for multiple others.

Mehta’s first NHL role came with the Arizona Coyotes as a consultant in 2010, holding it for one season, before the Devils hired him as director of analytics in 2014. He remained there for four years, spent the 2019-20 season with the Washington Capitals, and was brought to South Florida as their vice president of hockey strategy and intelligence. In 2023-24, he was promoted to assistant general manager and director of analytics, beginning the Panthers’ three-straight trips to the Stanley Cup Final and back-to-back wins.

“This is a dream come true for a New Jersey kid, who grew up watching Devils’ practices just 20 minutes away in Totowa,” said Mehta in a statement released by the team. “After meeting with David Blitzer, Josh Harris, Bob Myers, and other members of the organization, I knew this was the place I wanted to be. Thank you to Vinnie Viola, Bill Zito and the entire Florida Panthers organization for a fantastic six years and for the opportunity to take the next step in my professional career.

“New Jersey has a tremendous young core that will be looking to get back to being a contender, a complement of young assets and draft picks, and a passionate fan base hungry for success. I was fortunate enough to watch the New Jersey Devils raise three Stanley Cups and am excited to get to work to return to that level.”

The Devils had a disappointing season, finishing 12 points out of the playoffs with a 42-37-3 record. They enter the offseason with $7.7 million in cap space, and captain Nico Hischier eligible for an extension on July 1.

Zach Laing is Oilersnation’s managing editor, and The Nation Network’s news director. He also makes up one-half of the Daily Faceoff DFS Hockey Report. He can be followed on X at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach.laing@bettercollective.com.