If MTL cant sign a legit UFA Gotta capitalize on Cap not being high

It is certainly a good way to exploit our free cap space : a big organization like the Habs shouldn't have unused money

While it's hard to evaluate what return could we get for a cap dump, Marleau's trade help us : 6.25m costs a 1st (late 1st I assume). I heard the condition of the trade was that he'll have to be buyout to be free to sign with San Jose. Indeed, he has a full NTC so TOR can't move him anywhere without his approval. Also, he was over 35 when he signed his contract, so if he retires or is bought out, the team still carries his full cap hit instead of a part of it. So it's 6.25m for someone that doesn't play for you.

I think you have fair proposals in your scenario because the cap hit is lower than Marleau and it's players that can still give you some OK ice time. Kulikov can be a 6th-7th and Reimer a 2nd. I also think that Perreault could be a nice addition for the Habs if they trade a winger for a LD (Leddy, Brodie, Murray, Brodin, Ghost). He has a 2 year contract so it's fine and he can bring something offensively. His value, due to his contract (maybe 1-1.5m overpaid) might be around a 3rd or a 4th for a 1-1 trade.

But then there's team like OTT that are looking to reach the minimum cap. They might be willing to take less with bad contracts than the Habs would. The return for the bad contract could be lower than expected for this reason.