Devils Analytics Dir Sunny Mehta in his second year in the position "finds himself in a more collaborative and forward-thinking environment than he did in his first season," according to Pat Pickens of the N.Y. TIMES. When Devils Owners Josh Harris and David Blitzer "wanted to start the NHL's first full-time analytics department last year, Mehta made sense as its director." Since then, more analytics departments "have sprouted around the league as teams embrace advanced statistics." Mehta, formerly an options trader, "endured a rigorous interview process" as Harris, Blitzer and former Devils GM Lou Lamoriello "peppered him with questions." Out of a pool of "roughly 500, Mehta got the job as analytics director -- the first such full-time role on any NHL team." Mehta's "passion for the Devils runs deep." He said, "If it were any of the other 29 teams, I’d still be in Chicago. It was the Devils. I had to check it out." Blitzer and Harris are "committed to the analytics, which is why the Devils also gave Mehta an assistant, Sai Okabayashi, whose official title is data scientist." The team "intends to add to the department down the road." As GM Ray Shero has "taken over the organization’s reins, Mehta has seen a more streamlined approach." He has "become more involved in the decision-making process under the new administration." Shero said of analytics, "It’s getting better, maybe not every day, but every month or every week in terms of the league. We’re going to throw a lot of things by these guys. I think a lot of teams are doing that, so I don’t think we’re ahead of it, but you certainly don’t want to be behind on it" (N.Y. TIMES, 9/18).
