New general manager Sunny Mehta expects the New Jersey Devils to win the Stanley Cup
New Jersey Devils
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Last season: 42-37-3, missed playoffs.
COACH: Sheldon Keefe (84-70-10 in two seasons, 296-167-50 with two teams overall).
SEASON OPENER: Oct. 1 vs. Philadelphia.
DEPARTURES: General manager Tom Fitzgerald, G Jacob Markstrom, F Paul Cotter, assistant coaches Sergei Brylin and Jeremy Colliton, goaltending coach Dave Rogalski.
ADDITIONS: GM Sunny Mehta, F Anthony Mantha, F Luke Evangelista, F Evan Rodrigues, G David Rittich, assistants Ted Donato and AJ MacLean, goalie coach Dan Stewart.
GOALIES: Jake Allen (17-17-2, 2.74 goals-against average, .904 save percentage), Nico Daws (2-1-0, 2.62, .908), Rittich (14-10-3, 2.76, .894 with Islanders).
What to expect
Mehta, the poker player-turned-hockey executive who was part of Florida's front office during three trips to the final and two Stanley Cup championships, expects to do the same with the team he grew up rooting for. That's not to say the Devils are title contenders right away, though it's reasonable to set the bar at reaching the playoffs.
Mehta certainly upgraded up front line by signing Mantha and acquiring Evangelista and Rodrigues in separate trades. He is banking on New Jersey's young core led by U.S. Olympic golden-goal scorer Jack Hughes and captain Nico Hischier being a year more experienced and motivated by a disappointing season.
Strengths and weaknesses
The good: The talent is there, and the blue line is solid with no significant changes.
The not so good: The biggest unknown is in goal. Sending Markstrom to Florida to get Rodrigues and turning the No. 1 job over to Allen is certainly a risk. Mehta and Keefe have talked up Daws, a longtime prospect, and Rittich is there as a fallback plan. Only six teams in the NHL scored fewer goals than the Devils last season and they were in the middle of the pack on special teams.
Players to watch
Hughes is the headliner, with 77 points in 61 games around a couple of injury absences and his rise to national fame by scoring in overtime in Milan to beat Canada. It's unfair to keep asking if Hughes can stay healthy, but the Devils are by far a better team when he is on the ice and producing at an elite level. Defenseman Dougie Hamilton is back after plenty of buzz but no trade, and perhaps the certainty of knowing he will be around will stabilize his play.
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