I really don’t like these moves. Davis Gustafsson is going to be a solid 4C next year and Copp is a good middle of the lineup piece.

I don't disagree with you. As far as Gustafsson, I hope he is the number 4 center, though I would caution that expectation given Winnipeg's coaching & management history which always seems to favor veterans in those roles. In this exercise, Girgensons could be equally as valuable as 3rd or 4th LW. In fact, all the bottom six I chose are adept at moving around the bottom of their teams' lineup, which I like.

As far as Copp . . . in this AGM I chose to approach a situation that I think is a bit precarious. Copp is without a contract and the Jets need to decide what 7 forwards to protect (common consensus being that the 7 spot will go to either Copp or Appleton). Now if Copp extends tomorrow for 3 + seasons, he immediately makes the list . . . no question. But if they haven't signed him in the next 3 weeks or so, and worse, don't seem anywhere close, I think they need to consider moving him for assets. If they protect Copp and lose Appleton, only to watch Copp sign for a year to walk himself to UFA, which has been rumored (perhaps even going the arbitration route for a second time), then this team does itself a great disservice. My approach in this was to be proactive, trade the player for both a serviceable forward (whom also meets exposure requirements which allows them to protect Appleton) as well as a draft pick that they package to protect further assets from Seattle. I just think it's a prudent way to go if they're not confident that Copp is committed to a long term future in Winnipeg.

But that's why I added the players I did. If Winnipeg "responded" as such---and maybe saw one or more of Harkins, Gustafsson, Vesalainen take further steps this season---I think the loss of Copp would be very negligible.