"Take a bow Ray, you deserve it,"said Traikos after the Toronto Sun, along with NBC Sports and multiple other news outlets named Devils general manager Ray Shero as a "Winner" in the 2019 NHL Draft. While the media credited the players selected by the Devils for the team's excellent draft ratings, Ray Shero made those picks and initiated those trades, which is why he took the cake as one of the biggest winners in the draft this weekend through the eyes of the media. In less than 24 hours, Shero managed to transform his franchise from a team that was seen as contenders for the bottom spot in the league to a legitimate force to reckon with this upcoming season and potentially the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. While selecting Hughes first overall is the move that gave Shero the biggest headlines, it was his gamble to trade for P.K Subban and retain his entire $9M salary before the NHL released their cap range for the upcoming season that proved to be the most rewarding 'pay-off' for the veteran general manager.
"He Shero] had the cap space to work with and took full advantage of it, knowing some teams may have shied away until they learned what the 2019-20 cap range would look like…" Sean Leahy,****[NBC Sports
"This was always going to be a successful weekend for the Devils GM, who had the No. 1 pick. But while New Jersey took home top prospect, Jack Hughes, the team also managed to sneak Subban into their carry-on luggage. And they did it while only giving up two C-level prospects and a pair of second-round draft picks to the Predators. No wonder Shero spent most of the two days in Vancouver smiling like a Cheshire cat. " Steve Kournianos,Sporting News**