One area that separates Patrick and Hischier is hockey bloodlines. Patrick's father, Stephen Patrick, played six NHL seasons. His uncle, James Patrick, played 21 seasons.
However, Castron said that can be taken different ways.
"You can spin that around and say Hischier doesn't come from a hockey family but his parents were committed to driving him to practice and getting him there," he said. "Some might say Hischier had to work twice as hard to get to where he is and perform as well as he has.
"That said, I think it would be great having a dad and uncle who played in the NHL, were both first-round picks. Patrick has been around the game at a high level, but I don't know if [pedigree] would give him an advantage."
The Devils met with both players at the NHL Scouting Combine, and Shero has spent time with Patrick at his home in Winnipeg and met with Hischier and his family in Switzerland.
"They are both great players," Shero said recently. "Patrick went through injury this year, but everybody knows he's a heck of a player and he's going to be very good. Hischier is a Swiss center with good size and talent. For us, these are two centers, two real good players. We're going to get one heck of a player and, at this point, that's what this franchise needs."
The Devils have 11 picks at the 2017 draft, including five in the first three rounds. They also could receive the Toronto Maple Leafs' third-round pick as compensation for hiring Lou Lamoriello as general manager in 2015.