Yankees general manager Brian Cashman doesn’t own a first overall draft pick this June, but one of his friends across the Hudson River does.
On Saturday night, the New Jersey Devils won the NHL’s Draft Lottery, and Cashman didn’t hesitate to reach out and congratulate Devils general manager Ray Shero.
“I sent Ray Shero an email that night and said exciting times and wished him best of luck,” Cashman told Chris Ryan of NJ.com. “I know him and his staff are going to do great things with that opportunity. “I probably sent him an email in the 11 p.m. range, and on Sunday I was already typing in the NHL Draft online and started reading articles, trying to anticipate who this person could be and what kind of impact it might lead to.”
Cashman, who is an avid Devils fan, sparked a relationship with Shero in 2015, when New Jersey’s front office underwent drastic change. Much like the Yankees’ postseason dominance from the late 1990s to late 2000s, the Devils were once the metro area’s most competitive team, winning three Stanley Cups from 1995 to 2003. But this decade, New Jersey hasn’t been a contender. Despite losing in the Stanley Cup Final in 2012, the team hasn’t made the playoffs in five straight seasons, stumbling in an effort to rebuild the franchise with youth and flare.
The rebuilding process has gone a little bit more smoothly for Cashman, but he realizes success comes in cycles, and that an opportunity to draft No. 1 overall can be a turning point for any organization.
“Listen, the way all sports are, you’re up, then you’re forced down over time,” Cashman said. “We’re over here with the Yankees going through our rebound, we hope and we think. We’re on a good trajectory and I think the Devils are, too.”
While this year’s hockey draft class isn’t stocked with superstars, two players do stick out among the rest — 18-year-old Canadian Nolan Patrick and 18-year-old Nico Hischier from Switizerland. According to Ryan, Cashman isn’t sure who he would take, but he’ll trust Shero’s decision.
“Whichever Ray decides is going to be my preference,” Cashman said. “Ray will know best.”
