There are still a fair amount of high end vets on the team and keeping two aging overpaid 2Cs seems redundant. Right now they'd have more value for a contender than for us.Since there is zero reason to actually trade either of them this season, then it is only 3 years for Couture to be on the books, and then keep Hertl for 1 extra year and do his when Burns comes off the books. Then in 2 years all we have left is Hertl.
You are still way overthinking this entire retention spots. As there is zero need to trade even one of these 2 let alone both of them. This team still needs high end veterans on the team, or this team is never going to move past the rebuilding stage.