Flyers accept

EDM refuses. Pesce simply isn't a viable acquisition target for them.

What are you talking about? Ceci can be traded & would be traded, plus anyone of Broberg, Holloway, foegele or Lavoie to balance the numbers.
Pesce numbers defensively are better than Ekholms.

Holland agrees with the trade.

I suppose I should've specified that it's the cap and timing that limits it, not that Pesce is lacking. Even adding the extra 750k in difference between Pesce and Ceci really limits the team's ability to ice a mostly-full roster. For me, it's best to focus on getting the RFAs locked up without going too tight to the cap. Bouchard @ 3 * 1, McLeod @ 1.75 * 2, and Lavoie @ 775k * 2 should leave them around 1.6mil to add a proper 4C and still have not be too tight to the cap with a 22-man roster. At the deadline once some cap space has been accrued through the season, then I could see them pursuing Pesce for a package like this. The problem is that I think Carolina is going to move him well before then.

As for your specific point about any of Broberg, Holloway, or Lavoie going out to "balance the numbers", unless you're intending to ice a 20 or 21-man roster, that's not going to save you much of anything.

Now that makes sense!
Cheers mate.