Can you point to a trade similar to the one you suggested that happened for a rental?
Also, McCann is available. Nelson is now #2.
Marian Hossa from Atlanta to Pittsburgh for Armstrong, Christensen, 2007 1st rounder Esposito, and a 2008 1st rounder?
Admittedly, Dupuis (who had been on a considerable downward trend in Atlanta) was thrown in there as a "extra" and then became real nice for Pittsburgh for several seasons, but I remember it being seen as Atlanta getting quite a shipment of promise for a top-flight Hossa who was having a bit of a down season in comparison to his prior seasons.
And, well, Hossa was a rental (one who paid off in spades!).
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McCann has another year on his deal with a 5 MM cap hit. Yes, that could make him more attractive to some, or less attractive to others.
Still, he and an available Nelson pretty much top the list up the middle.
And again, there should be a good 5 interested parties. Might become more due to McCann not being a UFA.
Just because a team has a bunch of assets doesn't mean they're going to overpay for everything. That would be criminally bad GMing. I'm a fan of 99.9% of your posts, but I think expecting a return like this for Nelson is going to be setting yourself up for a world of disappointment.
I'm expressing a gut feeling on the lengths to which a specific GM would go to win out a possible bidding war for a guy who'd theoretically fit like a plug without giving up a single body he doesn't already have in spades within his organization.
Nelson being moved for less than what's suggested in this unique situation (one in which Berggren and Buium are anything but B level players and Danielson has been underwhelming in his first pro season) would hardly bring about a world of disappointment. No worries.
I think my thought would have first become anywhere from unrealistic to outlandish if I had suggested Kasper, Sandin-Pellikka, and the picks as the return.