I remember GM Murray doing something similar in a 2020-21 post-season interview. He said he had a few defensive prospects (LaCombe, Thrun, and Moore) that he could trade, but wasn't sure if the rebuild team was ready to make the next jump.
It's probably GM speak to give the fans some hope. I think Verbeek should follow Murray's example and let the team continue to develop another season to see who rises, stagnates, or falls with all of our prospects, including the ones in the AHL. There's just too many moving parts, so to speak. Although, adding a top-4 RD could lessen the need to take a defenseman in the Draft. Problem is that FA starts days after the draft. Are teams and players allowed to talk before FA starts?