Arizona Coyotes general manager Don Maloney was on an airplane headed from New York to Zurich, Switzerland, for the World Championships while the NHL held its Draft Lottery on Saturday. He didn’t know that Edmonton had won the right to draft Connor McDavid until he landed, but his reaction was a rarity in the Valley and in the hockey world.

"I had about a dozen text messages, mostly from family members cursing the Oilers out," Maloney said, laughing. "To my way of thinking, at least it was a team at the bottom of the standings. If it had been one of the teams that missed the playoffs with 90-plus points, that wouldn’t have seemed fair to me."

As for Edmonton bumping the Coyotes to No. 3 in the draft, and out of the McDavid/Jack Eichel sweepstakes, Maloney expected that. There was a 66.5 percent chance that the Coyotes would drop a spot.

"My expectations were so low because of the odds that I can’t say I was shocked or really upset," he said. "I know what’s coming for us in the system. The difference is it’s going to take a little longer because McDavid and Eichel are special. But in three to four years, that player we get could certainly be a front-line, All-Star level player. He just won’t be ready come September."

Maloney said if the staff had to make the No. 3 pick today, "we absolutely know who we are taking." But the Coyotes do not have to make the pick today so they will use further evaluations, the NHL Scouting Combine and some individual visits to better inform their decision.

Maloney expects to receive a lot of calls as the draft approaches in June from teams that may be interested in moving up. Since it’s all but certain that neither Edmonton nor Buffalo will trade the top two picks where franchise centers are waiting, the Coyotes are in an enviable position as the top draft choice available for teams that want to move up. That could mean additional assets for Maloney if the price is right.

While Maloney believes the loss of McDavid and Eichel doesn’t change the Coyotes’ long-term plan, he admitted the Coyotes have work to do this summer to accomplish their short-term goal of competing for a playoff spot next season.

Arizona has center Martin Hanzal returning, along with Kyle Chipchura and Joe Vitale, but Maloney acknowledged that the team needs to add a couple centermen to the mix next season. He also thinks the Coyotes need a couple defensemen and a backup goalie.

"I will guarantee you we will find a couple center icemen that can play come September," he said.

The free-agent class is thin this season, but Maloney thinks there will be opportunities there, and more so via trades with teams that are bumping up against the salary cap and have to move quality NHL players.

Maloney met with coach Dave Tippett before he left for the World Championships to discuss the short- and long-term plans. Tippett has made it clear he feels the team should compete for a playoff spot every year. He also confirmed that he has clauses in his contract to protect him if the team isn’t going in the direction he wants.

"Tip and I are 100 percent on the same wavelength with what we need to do," Maloney said. "I can see light at the end of the tunnel. It’s much harder when you have to go behind the bench every night without seeing what might be coming, but I had a good conversation with Tip. He’s OK."

Maloney will return from the World Championships on April 27. When he does, he expects to sit down with ownership and get a budget for the upcoming season.

"There’s so much more hope this year than there has been the last few years," Maloney said. "All that being said, we have to put a team on the ice next year and we want to be competitive and make people want to come see us play. That’s going to be the challenge: to fill the holes with enough quality and compete."

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