I don't think we have any idea if some team was offering say 3 years or not. If there were, then sens tack on a year to seal the deal if Green is the guy they want.
a discussion of 'is this the right guy' is more interesting than slicing the difference between 2 years or 4 years. There's no cap impact - or at least it doesn't count against the cap to be more accurate - and if the boss is comfortable with all of this then carry on.
I think what you are seeing here is a team admitting that the team is not close and at best, there is going to be a retool - and Green I'll bet Green knew this too. I don't think a coach takes a short deal with a rebuild unless they are really desperate, which perhaps Green is not.
There's a couple things a 4 year deal does.
1. Provides cost certainty (no big raise needed if he finds quick success).
2. Tells the players that this guy is sticking around and isn't just a trial coach
3. Tells the other potential assistant coaches that this should be a stable gig if they come here
4. helps shed the "cheap" label the team had under Melnyk.
5. Gives Green time to take the long approach towards success rather than worry about wins today at the expense of long term wins.
I also think there's some interesting discussion to be had in terms of how far this team is. A 4 year deal does suggest that Andlauer and Staios think it will take some time, but the question is, what is it, what is it that we are "far" away from?
I believe in Staios and Andlauer's eyes, "it" is being a contender, and challenging for the cup. Making the playoffs this year or not, wouldn't really make a difference in terms of how far we are. There's a lot work to be done on this teams consistency, and resiliency. that takes time to develop, it comes from experience, not talent. The team is talented, they are the opposite of experienced though.