100% nailed it. There's no point in Shero trying to think 3-4 years when he doesn't know what he has on the team right now. There are so many question marks in the organization that you might as well take a season to evaluate them. That doesn't mean tank, it doesn't mean "don't make incremental upgrades" or "don't acquire any forward over 24." It means make sure young players get some opportunities and hope they run with them. If not, have a backup.
This is a bit confusing to me.
I understand what you're saying, but it's not as if the Albany Devils won the Calder Cup last year, or that there are players who are lighting up lower leagues and not getting a shot.
With a new system and new management, it's worth giving everyone a fresh start and a new evaluation period. But, it's also not wrong to identify opportunities to bring in NHL talent. Like the deal to bring in Tlusty. If there were stars just waiting for their opportunity, it'd be one thing, but the reality is that the Devils have forward prospects who are most likely to turn into complementary / role players if they make the NHL at all.
And, btw, the deal that Carolina made to get Versteeg also brought in a 23 year old forward who put up 33 points in 58 AHL games in 2014 (not great, but that would have ranked fifth on the Albany team last year, ahead of Boucher and Matteau), and let them swap their fifth rounder for a third. All just for eating Versteeg's salary. The Canes gave up a former 6th rounder and a career AHLer. That deal is entirely about the future. And, Versteeg probably makes Carolina better today as well (though, admittedly, not much better).
