Sunny Mehta was brought in as general manager to be bold and he certainly has the opportunity to do that this summer via the New Jersey Devils trade.
Mehta's background shows that he is willing to take risks having been a former professional poker player, an options trader, and even a professional musician.
So, why wouldn't he at least try to acquire Quinn Hughes?
You know the story. Quinn is the older brother. Jack Hughes and Luke Hughes have long been associated with New Jersey. It would be crazy to get these three together in New Jersey – the kind of thing fans have been daydreaming about for years.
This was almost a reality in 2025-26. Ultimately, former GM Tom Fitzgerald missed the opportunity and it didn't happen.
Thus, Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin swooped in and ran the ball back for a touchdown. Wild believed Quinn was one of, if not the final piece of the puzzle that would ultimately lift the Stanley Cup.
Still, Minnesota was devastated by the inevitable Colorado avalanche last night.
With a new person in charge, many are wondering if Mehta will be able to do what the old front office could not.
Quinn is still under contract in Minnesota through next season. He's coming off another big year, and the Wild are in no position to "sell."
But contracts eventually end, conditions change, and the family works harder. Therefore this story will not end.
adventure part
If the Devils are serious about it, it will definitely be worth more than just prospects and picks.
Let's preface this by saying that I'm not advocating that Satanists should or shouldn't do this. All I'm saying is that it's the kind of bold move Fitzgerald wouldn't come close to.
The Wild's eventual collapse in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs may be due to one very obvious thing. They have no central depth.
In New Jersey, the Devils have a frontline center with the same contract expiration date as Quinn and nearly identical cap hits for the rest of their deals.
Yes. We are talking about the captain. Nico Hischier.
Hischier has been the devil's heart. He is a reliable, two-way center who leads by example. Trading him for a defenseman – even one as good as Quinn – will feel uncomfortable at first. But hat math is hat math. Quinn wants big money on his next deal. Hischier himself is about to get a big promotion. If you're trying to fit three Hughes brothers under one hat while trying to build a contender, something's got to give.
A deal that really catches Minnesota's attention might look something like this:
- devils send: Nico Hischier, Simon Nemec (or Anton Silayev), this year's first rounder, and maybe one more piece
- devils get:Quinn Hughes
This is a huge offer. You're leaving your captain and a young NHL defenseman who has a shot at being a top-four prospect.
However, you are becoming arguably the best defenseman in the NHL. And the Wild have been yearning for a legitimate center for years.
Maybe bold doesn't even cover it.
Will Mehta do this?
We're talking about a move with a magnitude of 10 here.
However, this is not unfamiliar territory for Mehta. You have to remember, Mehta didn't get a final shot with his former club, the Florida Panthers. However, he was instrumental in assisting GM Bill Zito with important moves that ultimately led them to consecutive Stanley Cups in the last two seasons.
One of those tricks? The foresight to move Jonathan Huberdeau and Mackenzie Weegar in exchange for Matthew Tkachuk.
In the end, that trade ultimately changed the Panthers' trajectory from bubble threat to legitimate Stanley Cup contenders.
This was the final gamble in which the Panthers lost cash twice.
So no, don't take such a bold step in front of Mehta. History shows that calculated risks are in its DNA.
Will this also work?
On paper, adding Quinn ahead of Jack and Luke would be ridiculous. The passing, the power play, the ability to control the game from the back end – this will inevitably force the Devils to lean back on their strengths, but on steroids.
As a result, you'll be centering the situation and diluting your already weak prospect pool at the same time. That doesn't mean Mehta can't figure out another 2C solution, but it won't be easy — they don't grow on trees, especially ones like Hischier's that undoubtedly have 1C quality. If this doesn't change rapidly in the cup window, you'll have years of regrets.
Mehta's background in analytics and poker means he probably approaches trades differently than the previous guy. The lower the sentiment, the higher the expected value. Will this lead to any major accomplishments like this in his first few months on the job... who knows.
Right now it's all smoke. No real traction beyond the usual off-season whispers that I've heard. In fact, it's more likely that Quinn extends to Minnesota.
But that kind of boldness was lacking under the previous regime and that's what the Devils ownership are hoping Mehta will bring to the table. If the Devils really want to unify the Hughes Triforce, Mehta will have to lure Guerin to the dance.
The offseason is young and Mehta is just getting started. However, he will undoubtedly want to make his mark on the roster.
