Because while he is not that NOW he will be soon, that is the trajectory of Elite Dmen, I have the same opinion of Makar despite him not being number one right now as well. And objectively speaking I do agree Makar>Hughes but both are elite potential dman.
Me pointing it out on a message board does nothing for my ego nor does it affect their careers.
There is a major difference between prime near prime Crosby, Malkin, Fleury, Letang and the depth the Pens had to what Green has in Prime Bo and 20 year olds and depth that is still a work in progress all things being equal.
He is more of a franchise dmen than the kids in the draft he is crying over though. He is really only short on the defensive end which is teachable. He has elite NHL offensive skill and has years to put the defensive side together.
Saying Hughes isn’t a franchise dman is a dumb statement.
You are literally assuming a smart 21 year old kid can’t learn the only teachable part of the game.