‘Everything he touches turns to gold’: Panthers praise rising management star Mehta

The Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers skated at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday.

Florida assistant general manager and head of analytics Sunny Mehta is a hot commodity in the NHL these days and the Panthers understand why.

“Sunny’s fantastic with analytics and his ability to articulate it to coaches, that easy conversation,” said Panthers coach Paul Maurice. “We can ask questions and we get answers and explanations back.”

TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun has reported that both the Leafs and the New Jersey Devils have received permission to talk to Mehta about their current openings.

“I know what we’ve built in Florida here has come a long way and he’s been a big part of it,” said Panthers forward A.J. Greer. “I wish him all the best if he does go somewhere else. I do think that brilliant minds like him should have a spot to shine somewhere for sure.”

MLSE president and CEO Keith Pelley is looking for a data-centric candidate to be the next head of hockey operations in Toronto and Mehta fits the bill.

The 48-year-old from New Jersey served as director of hockey analytics for the Devils for four seasons (2014-18). He previously consulted for the Washington Capitals (2019-20) and Arizona Coyotes (2010-11) as well as six Major League Baseball teams through a partnership with Zelus Analytics.

“I know he’s a smart hockey mind,” said Panthers forward Mackie Samoskevich. “It seems like everything he touches turns to gold. He’s good at his job for sure.”

Mehta is a former professional poker player and has written two books on the subject.

“We talk a lot about that and he’s actually given me one of his books,” said Greer. “A great guy and very nice and welcoming.”

And a winner. Mehta has his name on the Stanley Cup twice thanks to Florida’s back-to-back wins.

Florida’s front office, which is led by general manager and president of hockey operations Bill Zito, has been able to make some savvy moves to build out the team’s depth. Maurice lists Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Nate Schmidt, Greer, Ryan Lomberg and Kevin Stenlund as being among the group of players who struggled elsewhere before playing important roles in Florida.

“[Assistant general managers] Brett Peterson and Gregory Campbell, part of that group, brought in guys from maybe outside that weren’t flourishing where they were,” said Maurice. “It’s just finding the right mix of guys. They’ve hit that number right and Sunny, with those others, is a big part of that.”

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One year after being the final two teams standing in the Atlantic Division, the Panthers and Leafs are tied with 78 points at the bottom of the standings.

“Tough for both teams, obviously,” said Leafs coach Craig Berube. “I wouldn’t have thought that [would happen], but circumstances, injuries, a lot of things play into it. I don’t need to sit here and explain them all but that’s the way it goes sometimes in this league. It just shows the parity in this league and you can’t take a breath. There’s no easy teams.”

“Nothing’s permanent in this league,” said Maurice. “You can win a Stanley Cup and miss the playoffs by 100 miles. We’re going to prove that this year and then we’re going to try to win next year.”

Saturday’s game will feel much different than the high-stakes showdowns last spring when the Panthers rallied to beat the Leafs in a series that went the distance, but it’s still important. Due to the Brandon Carlo trade with the Boston Bruins last year, Toronto will only retain its first-round pick if it falls in the top five. The Leafs are just one point out of the bottom five entering play Saturday.

So, what will this game feel like at Scotiabank Arena?

“I don’t know,” Berube said. “That’s a good question. I don’t know if it’s a good question or how to answer it, to be honest with you. I always tell our guys it’s a privilege to play in the NHL and you take every game as seriously as you can. I get it, where the situation is for both teams but, in the end, personally, from my standpoint, we owe it to our teammates, to the organization, to the fans, you go out and play the game properly.”

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A season like this feels a lot different in a hockey hotbed like Toronto versus a non-traditional market like Sunrise, Fla.

“There are far more challenges in either a large market or a Canadian market,” Maurice acknowledged. “There just are. You have to be aware of how that gets into your room.”

Maurice coached the Winnipeg Jets (2013-21) and Leafs (2006-08) earlier in his career.

“In my short time here, I would never change the lines in practice,” Maurice revealed, “especially if we had two or three days off, because if I changed a line I got 30 cameras in that guy’s stall, the guy who came off the second line to the third line. It might be you just wanted to switch something, but that becomes a story that you build so I’d always do it in [the] game.”

The highs are high and the lows are low in Toronto, but the spotlight is always shining brightly on the team regardless of where it sits in the standings.

“Sometimes in these markets it’s like a drive-by shooting every day,” Maurice said before raising his hand. “I’m sorry to offend somebody if there was one somewhere. But you gotta get used to that and then you can [have success].”

Maurice marvelled at how captain Mats Sundin handled things in Toronto.

“He was always up front, always front and centre,” Maurice recalled. “I think he would tell the truth, but was smart enough that there doesn’t always need to be a lot of details with that truth. You know, ‘We weren’t very good tonight, but we’ll try and be better the next night.’ He was really honest but he had a presence about him. It’s not an easy thing to do.”

The lure of Toronto is the potential to win the franchise’s first Stanley Cup since 1967.

“It could be a great thing,” Maurice said. “Like, if you’re going to hit a home run, this is a good place to hit a home run. There’s good and bad in every market. Winning usually changes all of it.”

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John Tavares left New York to sign with his hometown Leafs in the summer of 2018. He then signed a new deal with Toronto last summer at less than market value. The 35-year-old from Oakville, Ont. has never complained about the market.

“My experience going in and around the city, around the town, is just how supportive people are no matter the circumstance,” Tavares said. “Whether it’s over the last couple weeks and the support people share or after last year, after Game 7, the support was there. Throughout my time as a Leaf, the excitement people have for this team and the passion for this team is unwavering. The support we get is incredible. There can be a lot of noise at times, but it just speaks to what this [team] means to so many people and how deep-rooted it is around the city and around the fan base.”

Tavares is active in the community and launched a charity, the John Tavares Foundation, here in 2020. On Friday, the Leafs nominated him for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, which is presented to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution.

“He always wanted to be a Leaf and it shows on and off the ice,” Berube said. “His leadership both on and off the ice is tremendous. What he does for the community, what he does for this organization, in our room, all that, that’s just him. Congrats to him.”

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William Villeneuve will make his NHL debut for the Leafs on Saturday.

“It’s pretty special, especially in Toronto,” the 24-year-old defenceman said. “I didn’t sleep a whole lot last night to be honest. Hopefully I can get down a bit for a nap. I’m just going to try and enjoy it all.”

Villeneuve’s parents will be in the crowd to witness their son’s long-awaited debut. A fourth-round pick in 2020, Villeneuve has played 224 games in the American Hockey League.

“Everyone has his own path, his own timeline,” the native of Sherbrooke, Que. said. “If I look at myself back four years ago, it’s a different player, different person, so [I’m] confident in my game and I worked a long way for that.”

Villeneuve, who stands 6-foot-2 and 183 pounds, has produced 29 points in 59 games with the Toronto Marlies this season.

“When I got to the pros I was 6′2, 170 pounds and it’s hard to battle against guys who are 220 and stuff like that,” he pointed out. “So just physically and mentally more mature and just [my] defensive game and physical game has improved a lot. I got to go out there and not overthink and just play my game and do what brought me here today.”

Villeneuve skated on the third pair with Simon Benoit on Saturday morning.

“They’re a hard forechecking team,” said Berube. “They dump a lot of pucks in so he’s going to have to be good on his retrievals and battle down low tonight. That will be a big part of the game for him.”

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Berube confirmed that winger Dakota Joshua, Carlo and goalie Anthony Stolarz are all done for the season after getting hurt during Wednesday’s loss to the Washington Capitals.

Stolarz sustained the injury when he flashed his pad to make a save early in the game. Is the issue serious?

“Serious enough,” Berube said.

Could it impact the 32-year-old’s off-season?

“It can, for sure,” Berube said.

Stolarz, 32, will start a new four-year contract next season.

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With Stolarz out, Artur Akhtyamov made his first NHL start on Thursday against the Islanders. The Russian rookie faced 44 shots, including 24 in the first period.

“He was just having a blast, honestly,” said Tavares. “He was just having fun. I was joking with him this morning, [saying] I hope he was able to recover because it came fast and furious early to him the other night. We obviously want to do a better job maintaining play and not making it so difficult on him, especially early like that.”

Despite facing an early onslaught, Akhtyamov was bumping hands with teammates on the way off the ice after the first period.

“He’s such a happy-go-lucky kid,” Tavares said. “Him going in there, he’s kind of just like, ‘This is great.’”

Joseph Woll will get the start on Saturday night. Daniil Tarasov will play for the Panthers.

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Lines at Leafs skate on Saturday:

Maccelli - Tavares - Nylander

Cowan - Domi - Knies

Lorentz - Haymes - Robertson

Pezzetta - Quillan - Jarnkrok

Tverberg

Rielly - Ekman-Larsson

McCabe - Stecher

Benoit - Villeneuve

Myers

Woll starts

Akhtyamov