So much about this I don't like:

Zaitsev is terrible. There's a reason every TOR fan is trying to dump him. TOR takes that deal and runs. Plus we already have a better version of Niskanen and that's Jensen. We need to trade Niskanen for picks and let Jensen on the 2nd pair.

That's a terrible deal for Bura. Glendening is a bleh 4th liner, we already have players better than him. Either bring Bura back or trade him for a good pick or package him for a top 6 player.

It would be a HUGE mistake to bridge Vrana. He'll come out of that bridge deal asking for $6M-$7M. Best to sign him to a 8 year deal now around $5M to save money going forward.

Zaitsev sucks, we’d hate him. Vrana is getting at least $5M after what Silfverberg got

Vrana will cost more than that.

We will have get rid of Niskanen at a minimum or Connolly and Bura. Caps desperately need a right handed center who can take defensive zone face-offs. Glendening was very sought after at the trade deadline by several teams because he is one of the best face-off centers in the game. He is gritty and an excellent penalty killer. In other words, a younger cheaper Beagle. The Caps are the worst team at the dot in the entire NHL and all of our Centers are left handed except Dowd who is marginal at the dot and as a penalty killer. It shows in how bad they are on the penalty kill and giving up leads in the last minute. Hagelin helps but need to get the puck back on defensive zone face-offs without over taxing Backstrom. Either send a second or dump salary of the enigma named Burakovsky. Ziatsev has real skills, good skater, younger and cheaper than Niskanen. He could thrive in a less hostile environment to Russian players than Toronto. OV, Kuzy, Orlov and ultimately Samsonov could help his talent blossom. RH D's don't come cheap in their prime. Niskanen is past his prime but a good vet for the Maple Leafs as a bridge to their young D's coming up. A fair trade with granted risks.