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Jamison Coyle, Mike Johnson, and Brian Boyle share their thoughts on NHL Network regarding the New Jersey Devils’ appointment of Sunny Mehta as their new General Manager. They believe this move will provide valuable insights for a Devils team aiming for the next level.
Jamison Coyle commented, “It’s funny. We talked at the end of last segment about teams in the offseason and what’s going to happen. How’s this for some breaking news, the Devils nothing but blue skies and sunny days ahead. ‘Jersey, We brought Sunny Home. Sunny Mehta is now the Devils General Manager. Comes back home. He’s from Totowa, New Jersey (Wycoff, NJ), so a homecoming for him. And what do you guys make of this vacancy being filled as the General Manager for the New Jersey Devils now belongs to Sonny Mehta.'”
Mike Johnson noted, “He was the hot candidate that had not been a GM before the new candidates. He was the guy. Fascinating career. He was a professional poker player, obviously very bright, numbers, math, analytically driven guy, worked for Jersey before went down in Florida.”
He continued, “And I think what people will really like about him is, yes, he’s got the brain and the analytics component to him. But he also saw Florida and how they incorporate what he does and how he sees it, with maybe a more traditional hockey viewpoint, without the numbers and the need for chemistry and culture and all those different kind of things. Toughness in different ways that are maybe harder to quantify.”
Johnson added, “He had, has his experience, and then he was privy to the experience of the Florida Panthers and a winner twice in a row. So good for him and great out for Jersey. Like, this is going to be, Jersey kind of becoming a destination. Like, that’s a that’s a big hire, like, Toronto was very interested in him. Not like any team that was going to have a GM spot would be very interested in him. And the fact that he landed back in Jersey speaks well for the doubles and Sonny.”
Brian Boyle stated, “Sunny Mehta is, he’s just a good man. You run into him, super positive guy. Obviously, he works extremely hard. Everyone on staff in Florida has to work extremely hard. That’s the standard that Bill Zito has set. And just have been talking to a couple of people. Brett Peterson’s another guy. He’s just like, it’s a grind every single day, but it has to be.”
Boyle elaborated, “Like we said, Johnny, it’s the last four teams, and certainly the last two teams remaining play a certain style of hockey that brings out more will than skill. A lot of times the skill still certainly is there. But when you’re a hockey player in the NHL, and everybody can kind of relate to this, I was, I’m not a huge analytics guy.”
“I don’t like to apply it to how I look at the game, but I try to look at it a different way, because I don’t know if you ever played with a guy that you’re like, how does he see the game that way? It’s just sort of a different lens. You’re looking through a different angle. You want to understand your teammates as best you can when you’re on the ice. Why does the defenseman make this play? How can I get open for him?”
He concluded, “There’s a number of different ways you can look at building a roster. There’s a number of different ways and different, I guess, data points, or whatever you want to call it, that you could address to try and build up a team. It doesn’t have to be a lifer or a 70-year NHL guy that’s been around and did it one way the whole time.”
“It’s evolved, and I think staffs in general have gotten bigger. I think you’re still going to have the great product that we’re about to witness in these playoffs, with the physicality and all that, but it’s going to be interesting to see the skill levels rising. Sunny Mehta is going to bring, I think, to a team that already has a tremendous amount of skill, another layer to it, where it’s going to be more efficient.”
“And the Devils who’ve been, I thought, knocking on the door every, every September, yeah, this is the year. Maybe this is here next year.”
English Translation:
Jamison Coyle, Mike Johnson, and Brian Boyle offer their reactions on NHL Network to the news that the New Jersey Devils have appointed Sunny Mehta as their next General Manager. From their perspective, this brings more information to a Devils team looking to advance.
Jamison Coyle said, “It’s amusing. We were just discussing offseason moves for teams in the last segment. Here’s some breaking news: the Devils are heading towards nothing but clear skies and sunny days ahead. ‘Jersey, we brought Sunny home. Sunny Mehta is now the Devils’ General Manager. He’s returning home. He’s from Totowa, New Jersey (Wycoff, NJ), so it’s a homecoming for him. What do you guys make of this vacancy being filled, with Sonny Mehta now being the General Manager for the New Jersey Devils?'”
Mike Johnson remarked, “He was the highly sought-after candidate who hadn’t been a GM before among the new contenders. He was the one. He has a fascinating career. He was a professional poker player, clearly very intelligent, driven by numbers, math, and analytics. He worked for Jersey previously and then went to Florida.”
“And I believe what people will truly appreciate about him is, yes, he possesses the intellect and the analytical approach. But he also witnessed Florida and how they integrate his methods and perspective with perhaps a more traditional hockey viewpoint, without solely relying on numbers, and considering chemistry, culture, and other such factors. Toughness in different ways that are perhaps harder to quantify.”
“He had his experience, and then he was privy to the experience of the Florida Panthers, who have won twice in a row. So, good for him and great for Jersey. This is going to make Jersey somewhat of a destination. That’s a significant hire; Toronto was very interested in him. Any team with a GM opening would have been very interested in him. The fact that he landed back in Jersey speaks volumes for the Devils and Sonny.”
Brian Boyle commented, “Sunny Mehta is, he’s simply a good person. When you meet him, he’s incredibly positive. Obviously, he works extremely hard. Everyone on staff in Florida has to work extremely hard. That’s the standard Bill Zito has set. And I’ve been speaking with a couple of people. Brett Peterson is another example. He’s just like, it’s a grind every single day, but it has to be.”
“As we’ve mentioned, Johnny, the last four teams, and certainly the last two remaining teams, play a certain style of hockey that emphasizes determination over pure skill. While skill is certainly present most of the time, when you’re an NHL hockey player, and everyone can relate to this, I wasn’t a huge analytics guy.”
“I don’t like to apply it to how I view the game, but I try to look at it differently, because I don’t know if you’ve ever played with a guy where you think, ‘How does he see the game that way?’ It’s just a different lens. You’re looking from a different angle. You want to understand your teammates as best you can when you’re on the ice. Why does the defenseman make this play? How can I get open for him?”
“There are numerous ways to approach building a roster. There are numerous ways and different, I suppose, data points, or whatever you want to call them, that you can utilize to try and build a team. It doesn’t have to be someone who’s been in the league forever or a 70-year-old NHL veteran who’s always done things one way.”
“It has evolved, and I believe staffs in general have become larger. I think you’ll still witness the great product in these playoffs, with the physicality and all that, but it will be interesting to see the rising skill levels. Sunny Mehta will bring, I believe, to a team that already possesses tremendous skill, another layer, making it more efficient.”
“And for the Devils, who I thought were always on the cusp, every September saying, ‘Yes, this is the year.’ Perhaps this year is the year.”
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