Cool. Then we need to be ok with getting rid of guys like Tomasino, Molyndyke, Askarov, Kemell etc.
I think we're all ok with that. But tbh, I don't think teams are trading their superstars for just prospects either. Best you could hope for in the "predatorial" sense is finally trying an offer sheet, but that hits your next several years of those types of prospects, when they are still unspent draft picks, as opposed to it actually being those specific prospects themselves.
But even that... when has a top RFA even ever been offer-sheeted? Not in recent years anyway. If one ever becomes available, it's definitely worth giving up 4 mid-1sts to try to land that top guy. Even if you think the other team will most likely match.
Part of it is the money too, though. You just have to be willing to make an insane overpay on the financial side. If it's part of an offersheet. Or be ready to for a UFA even... like, starting today, let's keep casually mentioning that we're ready to pay Draisatl $18M per when he's a UFA next summer. If he really wants to re-up with the Oilers, well, that's his choice. But over here in Nashville we've got that huge payday and lower taxes all ready to go...
But it has to be for that truly franchise level of player. Making those payments for anything less isn't going to help.