Confused at the seemingly hostile tone – it's absolutely related. A spot being filled by a veteran on a cheap contract is a spot that's not available to a guy like (but not necessarily) Lazar, who could benefit from a dominant year in the AHL. Or not forcing Dzingel to punch above his weight. Or giving Paul a chance to further grow into his frame.
If you AT ALL COSTS want to push for a Stanley Cup this year, yeah, it might look like a bad signing. But despite whatever lip-service the team is paying at the moment, I'd put very good odds on the focus being the near future, not the here-and-now. Truth is we'll be hard-pressed to compete with the Tampas and Floridas of the world this year.
Sorry, the tone was meant for the poster who said he laughs at fans for wanting to sign Lucic but not Kelly, or some nonsense. I hit reply instead of quoting.
However, I still disagree with you:
I don't think management made this move with much/any intention of protecting a prospect. I think they did it to send a message to players that they take care of their own and to hit a nostalgia cord with some fans.
It reminds me of Detroit signing a well-past-his-prime Cleary or even Helm's new contract. Like Ottawa, Detroit has a hard time attracting free agents so they big up the loyalty factor. It's possible some players take notice, but I highly doubt it makes much of a difference to where they sign.
As far as the fans are concerned, of course there's some joy in the throwback, but I'd personally rather focus on the present or future rather than the past.
While I agree Lazar was rushed, he was 19 with the pressure of being a first round pick. Dzingel and McCormick are 24 with no such pressure and I'm sure you agree, they've looked great in their rolls. You might be right about Paul needing a little more time but he's 21 and awfully close in my opinion. I just don't see the need to protect all of these guys when one of them can easily fill the roll Kelly's been hired to do.