NEWARK — Devils owner Josh Harris said Saturday he would not be scared off by the possibility of having the highest-paid coach in the NHL if that's what it takes to get the man he and new general manager Ray Shero want.

"Not if it was consistent with achieving our goals," Harris said. "I kind of look at it this way: The cap will be around $70 million, plus or minus. I think people tend to under-invest in their front office.

"We're financially set up to invest in the team. We're not going to do that in a way that is whimsical. We're going to want and ask for an ROI (return on investment) in terms of winning. If we are asked to make significant investments, we're going to make them when and if they make sense. But we're going to hold people accountable for those decisions."

Harris, speaking to a small group of media members at Prudential Center, would not say whether the Devils plan to interview Mike Babcock, who reportedly turned down an offer from the Detroit Red Wings that would make him the highest-paid coach in the league.

"I have no idea and I shouldn't comment in such specifics," Harris said.

Although Harris was directly involved in the hiring of Shero as GM, he does not expect to be as hands-on in picking a new coach.

"I don't expect to be out front in terms of hiring a coach. I don't think that level of involvement makes sense," Harris explained. "We'll (he and co-owner David Blitzer) be in the mix and want to be very informed about what qualities are being measured and weighed in terms of making that decision. We may want to meet the coach. I'm not sure."

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Harris called hiring a coach a "high priority," but stressed that it is an important decision and therefore has no definitive timetable.

"That's something Lou (Lamoriello) and Ray are focused on and we're focused on. You really want to get the right coach and not the quickest person available. But it's clearly a high priority right now," Harris noted. "Really, it's about getting the right coach.



"We have our existing people and we have outside people. We're going to go through a process that allows the organization to get the right coach."

And if that coach costs plenty?

"We're not afraid to spend if it makes sense for the franchise. We'll spend when it makes sense to spend," Harris said.

Rich Chere may be reached at rchere@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Ledger_NJDevils. Find NJ.com on Facebook.