Devils introduce new head coach John Hynes

Devils general manager Ray Shero speaks as the Devils introduce new head coach John Hynes during a press conference at the Prudential Center in Newark. 6/2/15

(John O'Boyle | For NJ Advance Media)

When the NHL Draft Lottery started on Saturday night in Toronto, Devils general manager Ray Shero quickly heard something that he thought would hurt the Devils' chances.

The Flyers quickly grabbed one of the top three picks, despite having the third-lowest odds to make the jump.

"When Philadelphia made the big jump there, my first reaction was, 'You've got to be kidding me,'" Shero told NJ Advance Media via phone. "Secondly, I said what does that mean for the Devils? We're at five, they made an 11-spot leap to the end."

With four teams with better odds than the Devils to start, the chances of being one of the other two teams to land in the top three seemed bleak.

Fortunately for Shero, the Devils did earn the last of the top three spots in the Draft, setting up for the dramatic reveal of the order. The Devils and Flyers ended up being the final two teams standing for the top pick before a flip of a card revealed the Devils' logo to award the No. 1 overall selection to New Jersey.

Shero went to Toronto anticipating a pick between five and eight -- after all, the Devils had a 74.1 percent chance of falling in that range. Instead, Shero's phone blew up with congratulations and excitement about the Devils' first ever No. 1 pick.

"That's nothing I expected, but the Devils haven't won something in a long time," Shero said. "I think this is fantastic for our fan base, our owners. Josh (Harris) and David (Blitzer) were a big reason why I can here. They really believed in how this had to be done."

Shero credited the two owners for believing in the front office's desire to build through the draft. After nine picks last season, the Devils have 10 (and potentially 11) lined up in June's Draft, including first overall.

Shero said the team could never plan on a No. 1 pick in the process of implementing the plan to build the Devils back into contenders, but he said it could serve as a visual turning point for the franchise.

"It's something that kind of sheds some light on what we're trying to do here, something can be happening," Shero said. "It's a good day for us and the Devils, and along with some playoff games going on right now, be the talk of the league right now."

Chris Ryan may be reached at cryan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @ChrisRyan_NJ. Find NJ.com Devils on Facebook.