As a Leaf fan, I dream of the trades you suggested. Unfortunately John Ferguson Jr., Brian"The Brain" Burke and Dave Nonis are not the GMs of Winnipeg, Chicago and Columbus.

EXCELLENT TRADES!!! GO LEAFS GO!!!!

These trades seem reasonable. If Kane is suspended hawks get relief. Winnepeg needs a strong left handed D-man and Columbus could use a good depth center to compliment Dubinsky.

Unfortunately I think you can only retain salary on 3 players at a time.
I also think that Lupul will not return even close to that much and I think Bozak could grab a 2nd without retention.
Personally I wouldnt retain on Dion for the next 7 years. I would rather have him playing all the hard minutes and sheltering the youth

With the free agent market the way it is, you can deal Phaneuf and then sign a veteran to fill that role for less money and term. I don't think Rielly and Gardiner are more than a couple of years from being able to carry the load.

At the same time the only way you are going to get a decent return for Phaneuf is if you retain salary and if they do retain salary for 7 years it is going to bite them in the ass hard in 4-5 years time when a bunch of the youth will be getting new contracts. So I wouldn't personally retain on Phaneuf period as that would be locking up 2/3 retention spots and probably close to 3 million dollars for the next 7 years because of the kessel trade.
Also Phaneuf is far better than anyone you are going to be getting as a FA so I would just keep him rather than get the return he would yield without retention. Playing 24+ minutes including PP and PK is not an easy thing, doubt any FA was playing close to those minutes last year or they would have been signed.
I think Gardiner is going to top out as a good to great #3 defenseman. I don't see him playing on the top pairing. Also I would be Sheltering Rielly on the 2nd pairing for the next couple seasons as defensmen seem to develop more slowly

At $3million retained I definitely wouldn't trade him. The most I would be willing to do is $2million and only if the return is solid. If the Leafs could do something along the lines of the deal above(which I don't think they can), and then sign Franson for $4.5 a season on a shorter term I think it would be a good proposition. I thought Franson was far more effective than Phaneuf last season.