Quoting: youiswhatyouam
OEL is, without a doubt, a much better defenseman than Severson.
Yeah, I mean I suppose we differ in that I do believe Butcher will be a passable middle pairing guy. I believe Greene likely can still play top 4, but not top 2 at all. If your top 2 is OEL and Vatanen, thats on par with many other teams, really better than most. I won't debate further what you think it takes to get him, because I keep repeating what the ask is according to the media. I believe the actual return for him will be less than the ask. It almost always is.
The other thing that is key to my argument here, don't forget I added JT. Is that realistic? I dont know. I think theres an 80 percent chance he just returns to Long Island, but this is hypothetical. If youre running JT AND adding OEL... then it absolutely is a Cup contending team next year. Yep, they could ice a better defense. But it doesnt matter if youre running a generational center and then Nico who is merely a great center, and Hall who is a top 3 LW in the league IMO. Ask the Penguins.
OEL is just that good. Hes a number one defender. There probably arent 12 true number one defenders in the league, and basically no team has won the Cup in the last decade without one. The Pens kinda did last year, but Schultz played way over his head and made up for it IMO.