So are you just trying to save Jim Benning’s job?

Wowzas lots to say.

Virtanen is not a good asset and is a bad pickup. He's arguably not even worth a waiver pick up at this point, depending on your view of him. He also won't get ahead of Batherson, C. Brown, Dadonov, or White on the right side so he's out. No go. Gaudette has also taken a massive step back and it's just not worth the rest of the package to take that risk. Brown is still a really talented player and adding a 2nd to him isn't worth Gaudette, especially if he's going to only be a 4C on the team. That's just not a good deal in any way. Ottawa declines.

Ekholm is worth way more. He's a top pairing D that's caught lower because Nashville has Josi. They aren't going to be very interested in Tierney (they have plenty of middle 6 centers, and they pay them $8M oops), and Abramov is the only other valuable piece. That's just nowhere close to enough for Nashville. Nashville declines.

Beyond that, RNH is getting more, R. Murray won't come to Ottawa to play 3rd pairing, and Mike Reilly is not a RD. Reilly will also never play above Artem Zub in that spot, who is Ottawa's second best D (if not best D on some nights). Furthermore, Bernier will command more after how strong he has played for Detroit, but Ottawa sees Daccord as the future and will be shifting the backup position to him this season if it isn't already his. A Melnyk-run team will not pay that much to a 4th line, Virtanen is a replacement level player, not a 3rd liner, Nick Paul hasn't played center in years, and Dzingel is unlikely to be a longterm member of the team since they have younger pieces they'd like to add (like Pinto and Formenton).

NSH declines. The pick and the prospect aren't close to enough for Ekholm, and the Preds wouldn't be looking to add Tierney or Brown if they're selling off players.

Canucks take that deal before you change your mind

I did this quickly without thinking much about those deal the way you did great to have your point of view tho.