Saying Columbus wouldn't trade Foligno for Vrana because Vrana is Laine-lite and Torts wouldn't like him is a head-scratching take, to put it lightly. Columbus would drive Foligno to the airport and make sure he got on the plane if Vrana was offered up for him. Foligno is 33 and on a significant downswing. Columbus as a team is depleted of assets because of the trades JK made a few years ago and their recent losses in FA. They're in no man's land; they aren't good enough to compete but aren't terrible enough to suck their way into the lotto and they'll likely need a new coach next season. Vrana is inconsistent but he's significantly more valuable both on the ice and as an asset than Foligno. It's not even close either. And it's exactly the kind of move a team like Columbus would be wise to make. They flip an aging player who will likely be out of the NHL within the next two years for a 25-year old top six forward with 30-goal talent and speed to burn. I honestly don't really understand why this is even a conversation or why you think Columbus wouldn't do this.
To answer your last point, the other team would do this because Vrana is better and younger than Foligno and a much more valuable asset.
