This is why I'd trade for Jones and 1 season of Kane. See if we can catch lightning a bottle for 1 season and moving forward hold on to Jones as our top pairing D with Chabot. Going into next season we would have around 8m. If the cap goes up bonus.
Would be a hard pill to swallow to mortgage the next two years of picks but I'd be curious to see how it plays out if your trade went through.
Kane 50% retained = 1st round pick + B prospect (Sokolov)
Jones 20% retained = 1st round pick + 2nd round pick + A prospect (Pinto)
Trade Zaitsev today = 2nd round pick + 2nd round pick
Probably couple 2nd round draft picks needed to be added to your proposal for it to be truly balanced
Ottawa upgrades Joseph for for 2M x 1 year shot, then drops the cap for Stutzle.
Seth bolsters the D, hoping we keep Zub.
Pinto gone but Greig steps in as 3C in.
ELC and dumpster bin for 4th line.
Hard pill to swallow is if we lose Kane + DeBrincat and are left no first round picks for 2 years and no Pinto/Sokolov to join a porous Top 6 of:
Tkachuk - Norris - Batherson
Formenton - Stutzle - Giroux
Greig
Or worse, if we lose one or both of Batherson/Formenton