Thanks Nigel, I mentioned color space because I didn't want to add the complication of going from, say ProPhoto to sRGB and then trying to match monitor and printer profiles at the same time.
When it comes to printing options, NX2 seems to have all the right options, 4 different rendering intents, side-by-side comparison of softproof and master images. NX2 also has local masking for every adjustment and even layer blending, it just uses different terminology. I really would like to avoid doing local adjustments. That just seems like it opens up a whole array of opportunities to create a new version of the image, not a just color-corrected image.
I did some experimenting in Lr and found that I could "almost" softproof. I exported (to the same directory) a 16 bit tiff copy of the master rendered in the printer's profile and put it up in the compare view with the master. Most of the differences I see in the NX2 softproof are visible in this Lr comparison but of course I can't set a rendering intent. I would like to try and find a global preset that maps most of the changes I see from the printer profile to the master. I know it can't be done perfectly. I am using a test image with kids faces and color checker charts and lots of colored objects as the master. So far I have a preset that gets the faces right, but surprisingly, to me anyway, there are still some strong reds and yellows in the color checker chart are off color yet the faces are right. Almost everything I do to get the color checker right messes up the faces. That's why I asked if there is a global procedure for doing this. It just seems necessary for every image to have to be tailored since the difference between profiles is static. fix one, fix them all?
Edit for new info
The printer profile I've been using is for a printing service, their printer, their paper. They (Mpix) recommended a "perceptual" rendering so that's what I've been using for the soft proofing. However, relative colorimetric completely eliminates the color and contrast changes everywhere. So at this point my OP is moot. I'm still a bit surprised that there isn't a procedure for creating a "best fit" between two profiles and then using that best fit on all images. But I haven't been able to find one so maybe there isn't.