The New Jersey Devils had quite the offseason. New general manager Sunny Mehta, as TheDevilsNation.com has documented, has left his fingerprints on the roster, adding his type of players, including Evan Rodrigues, Anthony Mantha, Jesper Boqvist, Ben Steeves, and most recently Luke Evangelista.
New GM Sunny Mehta Leaving His Mark Already on the New Jersey Devils
Mehta is getting the New Jersey Devils back to the team they were in 2022-23: fast, attacking, and relentless, with some size and grit. He is taking chances on underutilized players and bringing them into a system he feels can help them be at their best.
As Anthony Di Marco of the Daily Faceoff told TSN Radio in Montreal when asked about the New Jersey Devils’ move to bring in Luke Evangelista and what it means moving forward.
TheDevilsNation.com Transcriptions
Host: “We did see another move of some significance as well, going down on September 1 when Luke Evangelista was traded from the Nashville Predators to the New Jersey Devils for a first- and a second-round pick. What do you make of that move? And I think Luke Evangelista is a pretty underrated player in his own right.”
Anthony Di Marco: “Well, I like it for the New Jersey Devils. I know a lot of people had some issues with the package that new general manager Sunny Mehta paid up to get him out of Nashville, but that was a player that had a bit of a contentious contract negotiation last summer under new general manager or under old general manager Barry Trotz and former AGM David Poile.
But obviously, the Predators didn’t feel so highly on him, even with the new hockey operations staff headed by the likes of Chris McFarland, Rob Blake, and Jamie Langenbrunner. But for the Devils, I like it because they get some much-needed size up front on a team that is pretty loaded with skill, but does miss some grit.
New Jersey Devils Can’t Be a Counter Attack Team Anymore
You could theoretically plug him right beside Jack Hughes and maybe Timo Meier on the first line. Drop (Jesper) Bratt down to the second unit alongside Nico Hischier. This gives them a better overall look and more depth. You can plug and play with Dawson Mercer, who can play both down the middle or on the wing.”
The proof is in the pudding when the New Jersey Devils take the ice. However, the Devils have assembled a better forward group than in previous seasons. Yes, there are questions between the pipes, but the parts up front and on defence will help them better protect their goaltenders this season.
The New Jersey Devils have a chance to be a playoff team again this season.
