that's a lot of scraps and 2nd rounders. They probably want less quantity

Difficult to judge, but based on some of the trades leading up to the draft players with higher caps are being given away:
Reilly Smith 2024 third
Ross Colton 2023 second
Tyler Toffoli Yegor Sharangovich and 2023 3rd
Taylor Hall and Nick Foligno Ian Mitchell and Alec Regula

Teams are not getting the haul that they were thinking to cut salary. Sabres should have been in on Reilly Smith or Ross Colton

Backlund and Tanev aren't just salary dumps either. They're half of the Flames top PK unit. If the price isn't right, you keep the players. If the market doesn't warrant moving the players, you wait until the market develops, or until the deadline.