One thing that should be noted on the debate of trading Ras now vs trading Ras at the deadline. Assuming an unprotected (or very lightly protected (e.g.: Top 3)) 1st rounder is a must, there is a chance of a lottery pick if traded now. Examples off the top of my head:
Phil Kessel trade from Bos to TO --> 1st became 2nd Overall and 9th Overall (Seguin and Hamilton)
Lucic trade from Boston to LA --> 1st became 13th Overall (Forgot who was picked)
Hamonic trade from NYI to CGY --> 1st became 12th Overall (Noah Dobson)
Jokinen trade from Coyotes to CGY --> 1st became 13th Overal??? (defensemen didn't pan)
Matt Duchene from Avs to Sens --> 1st became 4th Overall (Bowen Byram)
Erik Karlsson from Sens to Sharks --> 1st became 3rd Overall (Tim Stutzle)
Marleau dump from TO to CAR --> 1st became 12th?? Overall (Seth Jarvis)
Erik Karlsson from Sharks to Pens --> 1st became 11th Overall (Sam Dickenson)??
So there's a chance......
If traded at the deadline however, it's pretty much guaranteed to be a pick in the 20s.
I don't think we should hold Ras just to extract that extra piece (2nd or 3rd). Yes, I'm on team tank and I don't want those extra 5-10 points either.
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