This may be the most important offseason in New Jersey Devils franchise history.
Sunny Mehta has an extensive list of tasks to get the Devils back on track as playoff and Stanley Cup contenders this summer.
He began his introductory press conference by stating that he was extremely optimistic about the roster as currently constructed.
“I am extremely optimistic about this team,” Mehta began. "We have a lot of talented players, and I really believe that these talented players are going to reach a turning point and get over that hurdle. It's my job to make sure this roster is consistently filled with the amount of talent needed to be a championship team, and I intend to do that."
However, that doesn't mean New Jersey shouldn't make changes, on and off the ice.
To reach that hit point, Mehta will have to press all the right buttons.
True to his poker player nature, Mehta didn't reveal his hand as to what was going to happen through the rebuild. He explained anything and everything is being evaluated.
This leaves us with several key questions regarding the important offseason.
Will Sheldon Keefe stay?
When Mehta was introduced at the Prudential Center earlier this week, head coach Sheldon Keefe was in attendance. Mehta thanked Keefe and the Devils players in attendance for their hospitality.
The new Devils GM explained that he and Keefe have already had several conversations, emphasizing that Keefe is a "fantastic guy" while reminding everyone that everything will still be up for evaluation.
Still, when discussing the team's identity and roster construction, Mehta admitted he hadn't given it much thought on his second day on the job. However, he clarified that he would talk to Keefe to get a better idea on how to move forward with building his team.
So, will Keef return? We don't know for sure. However, his attendance at the introductory conference and his involvement towards the settlement indicate that Keefe may be behind the Devils' bench again next season.
What happens to Dougie Hamilton?
Certainly, this is no mess that Mehta has created. However, it has to be cleaned up somehow.
Dougie Hamilton's situation is a strange one for Mehta. By now, you know that Hamilton has not been made available to the media since December, refusing to speak on multiple occasions after his agent made public his mockery of the former regime.
His reluctance to speak in exit interviews indicates that tensions remain despite Tom Fitzgerald's absence.
This is an important part of what happens with the Devils this offseason. Will Mehta decide that a fresh start is best for everyone for Hamilton and waive his $9 million cap hit?
Or, will Mehta see Hamilton's 28 points in the final 37 games speak loudly for the Devils GM as part of the solution moving forward?
Either way, once Hamilton's situation is resolved, it may have little impact.
What is Simon Nemec's influence?
One of the key questions hinged on the Hamiltonian situation is, whichever way it works, what impact does it have on Simon Nemec?
Nemec is a pending restricted free-agent who has shown positive growth from the blueline this season.
The 22-year-old defenseman got a clutch gene en route to an 11-goal year. His offensive touch also gets him top power play minutes.
What Nemec lacks, however, is his defensive game. In their region, they have shown slower growth than anticipated. Nemec is still a green banana that may take a while to ripen. Still, for the Devils to return to the playoffs, can they afford the No. 17 pick to develop his defensive game at the NHL level?
Either way, it feels like whether Hamilton stays or goes, Nemec will have an adverse impact.
Trade or keep the 2026 first round pick?
The Devils' chances of moving up in the Draft Lottery are quite slim. Right now, they are 12th from the bottom in the league-wide standings and are only eligible to reach second place overall.
We'll find out in two weeks where the Devils are going to select. Still, unless they have a chance at Gavin McKenna or Ivar Stenberg, the Devils should plan on moving this selection in favor of a top-six forward to play with Jack Hughes.
How aggressive will Mehta be in pursuing reforms?
Leaving aside the trade discussion regarding their 2026 first-round pick, we wonder how aggressive Mehta will be in improving the team.
Devils have certain needs. First of all, as I said earlier, the Devils need a top six forward to pair with Jack and Jesper Bratt. If Mehta is going to do this, it's more than likely he'll use the first-round pick they currently have.
However, could Mehta also have decided that he needed to shake up the culture? If a big-name player like Brady Tkachuk or Jason Robertson becomes available on the trade market, would Mehta be included as a serious trade partner? If Mehta feels that the current core has not worked, and perhaps they are not aligned with his analytical thinking, then it is not far-fetched to think that he would make a deal that would break a piece off from the core.
After all, Mehta has no attachment to anyone on the roster as of now. While Fitzgerald probably had a lot of love for his own roster, there should be no strings attached to Mehta in terms of making a trade.
And let's not forget that the bottom six needs work too. The Devils rank 27th in goals scored this season. There was no reduction in their depth which impacted the top six.
How many new faces will we see in September?
Can Mehta fix the goaltending?
The Devils' goaltending was structured as the last line of defense. Obviously, right? You have to beat the goaltender to score.
However, Jacob Markstrom was brought in for his high-threat defensive pedigree. Fitzgerald locked down Allen as a reliable 1B/backup. Only one of those two things happened in 2025-26.
The problem is that both goaltenders are on the wrong side of 35. Mehta could work with Allen who is on the hook for just $1.8 million for the next four seasons.
However, Markstrom's new two-year contract begins on July 1 and runs through 2027–28.
Markstrom has shown signs of decline this season, and if it gets even worse, the Devils are going nowhere fast. Is there any solution this summer? They don't have a 20-team trade list, so Mehta's only option is to go with 11 other teams.
Otherwise, perhaps Mehta should reconsider Dave Rogalski as the goaltending coach.
Big ticket for Nico Hischier?
Perhaps the biggest question of the offseason. Will the Devils extend Nico Hischier when he becomes eligible on July 1?
When asked about his pending contract during the regular season, Hischier stated in his exit interview that he wanted to win a Cup in New Jersey.
However, if Mehta cannot resolve his contract with Hischier as soon as possible, it could put a halt to the crucial 2026-27 season. Allowing Hischier to reach unrestricted free agency would be an obvious mistake.
Coming from Florida, one of the comparisons to Hischier would definitely be Sasha Barkov. Could Hischier sign the same 8x$10M contract that Florida's captain signed in 2021?
Five years later, you'll have to account for the cost of inflation in an era of rising salary caps.
Short or long term extension for Arseniy Gritsyuk?
Arseniy Gritsyuk's rookie season could only have been better if he had not been injured in the final stages of the season.
The 25-year-old first-year NHLer scored 13 goals and 31 points in 66 games this season, and is an outside candidate to receive a Calder Trophy nomination.
Everything about Gritsyuk screams core player.
Still, the Devils have been burned by KHL-imports before. Looking at you, Nikita Gusev.
So will Mehta commit to Gritsyuk long-term? Or is the bridge contract ready?
Everyone, including Jack Hughes, wants Gritsyuk to stay long term. But, again, Mehta has no relation to the player.
Gritsyuk has passed both eye tests and his analysis is impressive. It seems like he is a player Mehta would like to keep around for a long time.
