Quoting: Claesson4Norris
Meh. I think Ottawa does better just moving Joseph out for picks
No one will give up picks for Joseph. He is underperforming and has too much term at his cap hit.
The point of this trade is that Winnipeg gets the better roster players in the swap, they get term with Joseph, which benefits them since his cap hit is subsidized by dumping another bottom 6 forward in Appleton. Term is good for the Jets in this scenario because they have a difficult time attracting NHL veterans to Winnipeg.
For the Senators, it's entirely about cap balance. Joseph for Appleton and Brannstrom for Stanley is not going to change anything for them next year because those players will play such a minimal role, but it will help them clear space to sign Pinto and dress 22-23 players.
Sokolov is clearly at a disagreement with the team since it's unusual for an RFA of his calibre not to be signed. It's a small hit of added value for Winnipeg.
Keep in mind, this is just the basis for a deal. If the idea is the Senators need to throw in a 2nd round pick or something because they are the ones getting cap space, that doesn't really change the trade much.
I think ultimately the deal we see Ottawa make will be some sort of hockey trade like this. I think dumping Joseph completely will be too difficult. It will be something built around Joseph and maybe Brannstrom out for slightly cheaper roster players who also aren't great.