Isles would need to make a side deal to make the cap work, but they’d gladly pay that for Lindholm

Nope. I wouldnt be interested in this at all and neither would lou. He only gets guys he thinks he can resign and resigning lindholm means that we are blocking salo and bolduc. Not really interested in that.
Also i wouldnt move another 1st unless its for a star winger to play RW1, and especially not for a rental. We desperately need that 1st in a really strong draft to help restock the pipeline. Plus that would make 3 straight years without a 1st round pick and 4 straight wo a 1st round caliber pick in the 1st round. I think we would be better off keeping our pieces and finding a cheaper option.

Ideally we’d give Salo or Bolduc more minutes and let one of them grow into the role over the season, but Trotz would never put that much trust in a rookie. We’re gonna have to go out and acquire someone, and I really don’t feel like going halfway and getting someone who just plugs the hole.

Ok but getting someone like lindholm costs not just what we would pay (in this case wilde bellows and a 1st) buy salo and bolduc as well because they will never have a real shot like toews did. Getting someone like CDH would make a lot of sense imo bc we plug the whole with a solid 2nd pair dman for the short term but we dont stop the development of salo and bolduc.

I’ve proposed trades for CDH in the past, and if we had to get a one year placeholder, he’s the one I’d pick. Isles get a lot of mileage out of having a close locker room and de Haan being a familiar face would definitely help with that. I also think his playstyle, being as physically exhausting as it is, would force Trotz to play Bolduc/Salo every once in awhile.

That's a big huge "no" from the Oilers. There's no way they trade all that for Gibson.