EP has negative value at $11.5mm. If he was a free agent, how much would you be willing to sign him for? I'd say $8mm-9mm. So the Canucks would need to retain enough to get down to that level, then just take a couple of things in return, not a haul.
I would have made the Kiefer Sherwood trade in a heartbeat even knowing I'm unlikely to want to pay him this summer. Two seconds and a journeyman is fine for a rental who could help solidify a playoff spot and contribute towards possibly winning a round this season, both of which should be seen as attainable goals for the Wings. The Canucks may value the Sharks' seconds more than the Wings' seconds, so would have gone a bit better than Cole Clayton which isn't hard to do.