There has to be an acceptance from the team and fans that a better roster also means adding veterans and not just dropping all of your prospects into the NHL. That may very well mean replacing Savard with another veteran if they don't see the progression they hoped with most of their young blueline vs just add Mailloux/Reinbacher in Savard's spot. Might mean moving off any or all of X/Struble/Barron if they don't show enough this season and letting those 2 kids take their spots.
I don't really disagree with what you said. They do seem to target young-ish established players (guys in their mid 20s) and reclamation projects, though. And Hughes seems more obsessed with winning individual hockey trades than improving the team by giving it purpose and direction.
Laine was the move at forward. In a vacuum, the price to acquire him is great and I am behind this move. But it's still adding an injury prone, mentally fragile player to a young team that's had major issues with players missing significant chunks of time.
I completely agree with you as far as the defence is concerned. We wouldn't be in this mess if Hughes hadn't played it cute. Instead of drafting Slafkovsky's BBF and that depressing-looking mosquito Newhook, we could have shopped these assets (one first round pick and two 2nd round picks), for actual help on the right side. Even adding a LHD in the trade.
Instead, Hughes squandered those assets and tried to improve RHD by ignoring Michkov and drafting a guy who is a long term project to fix a short term problem.
