A Sunny Day In Hell: New Jersey Devils GET THEIR GUY, Land Sunny Mehta as GM

About this episode

Zach Berman discusses the New Jersey Devils' hiring of Sunny Mehta as their new general manager and its implications for the franchise's future.

In the episode "A Sunny Day In Hell: New Jersey Devils GET THEIR GUY: Land Sunny Mehta as GM," Zach Berman expresses excitement and relief as the New Jersey Devils secure Sunny Mehta as their new general manager. Zach Berman emphasizes that this hire marks a significant turning point for the franchise, especially after concerns that the Devils might come up short in their GM search. He details how Mehta was the team’s clear top choice and notes the speed and decisiveness of the Devils’ management and ownership—something not seen in recent organizational history. Zach Berman recounts Mehta’s intriguing background, highlighting his unconventional path to hockey management. Mehta studied jazz guitar before earning a master’s in data science, became a professional poker player, published books on poker strategy, and eventually transitioned into hockey analytics. His previous tenure with the Devils as their analytics head is credited with innovations like a player ranking system that famously advocated drafting Jesper Bratt in the sixth round—now a key Devils player. The discussion points to Mehta’s successful stint with the Florida Panthers, where he helped transform the team into a…

People in this episode

Host: Zach Berman

Topics covered

• New Jersey Devils
• Sunny Mehta
• hockey management
• analytics in sports
• franchise turnaround

Keywords

• New Jersey Devils
• Sunny Mehta
• hockey analytics
• franchise management
• Jesper Bratt

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: New Jersey Devils, Florida Panthers

Books & works: Jesper Bratt

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