When the Devils hired Ray Shero to take over as general manager in May of 2015, NBC hockey analyst Pierre McGuire saw it as an exciting move for the franchise.

Now with Shero in the second half of his second season at the helm, McGuire still sees the promise in the general manager.

"They're going in the right direction. Ray's done a fantastic job there," McGuire said. "The acquisition of Taylor Hall's been huge for them, and going forward it's going to pay long-term dividends. He's bringing in some veteran presence like Ben Lovejoy, stabilizing situations."

The Devils missed the playoffs in Shero's first season, and barring a drastic turnaround this year, they appear to be destined for a fifth straight season on the outside looking in.

But McGuire said turnarounds don't happen overnight, and Shero is putting the pieces together for the long haul.

As for coach John Hynes, who was hired by Shero in June of 2015, McGuire has liked what he's seen in his first two seasons as an NHL coach.

Shero echoed his commitment to Hynes when the team went through a seven-game losing streak in December, and McGuire believes Hynes is a positive impact on the room.

"John Hynes is a really good tactician, he's a fantastic motivator. I think he's done a really good job preparing that team night in and night out," McGuire said. "They're close in a lot of games because of the way he prepares. I'm a huge fan, and he leaves nothing to chance. He works hard every single day."

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