I don't "hate" it -- I like Kreider and if there was a way to keep him and acquire the other pieces I think we need, I'd downright love it. And so if we somehow go out and do end up trading for Holtz or something in the draft, then I'll do a 180, because again, I'm not here advocating an additional 5 years of tanking. I think we needed one OR two more top-6 pieces, but one more imminently than the second who I'd view as more of a long-term replacement option who can develop and play on the third line in the meantime.
But certainly nothing that has been revealed or occurred since yesterday has changed my mind about feeling that asset acquisition remained more important than securing competitiveness for the next season or two. Therefore I remain opposed. But my focus was on draft and asset accumulation for THIS offseason, because this will, in my mind, be the last offseason we are anywhere close to missing the playoffs, being a lottery team, and selling off assets at the deadline that would allow us to trade up. From here on out, after this offseason, asset accumulation will be about trading from our existing prospect surplus, not from multiple high draft picks.
So starting next season, regardless of what we do this offseason re: the draft, the ship is sailing. The train is pulling out of the station. We'll be playoff bound and there will be no moves to make or be advocated for that could realistically stop that (as trading Kreider could have done this year). So I'll be towel waiving along with everyone else come October 2020.