The "no major overhaul" was in regard to the franchise. They're not overhauling their coach, their player development, trading away the farm, etc. Honestly bringing in 2 defensemen isn't a "major overhaul".
My biggest issue with Sweeney's quotes are that the two main objectives for the offseason were to 1. Free up cap space and 2. Restock the farm. While they did make strides there, why not just make that the overall priority this year and do everything with an eye to that future? That means no McQuaid, no Rinaldo, increased PT for the young guys, and and admission up front they aren't going for the playoffs.
I know that's a tough pill for Bergeron, Tuukka, Chara, Krejci, et al to swallow but in hindsight, a 1 year step back would have made a huge difference going into next year rather than being where they are now.