The Day After!!!

paNOW Staff:

They weren't the biggest deals of the day but the Raiders made two very significant moves before Monday's WHL trade deadline.

19 year old defenseman and assistant captain Ryan Button is on his way to Seattle for 19 year old forward Charles Wells.

Coach and GM Bruno Campese says they had been trying to land a player of Wells' calibre for some time and knew the price would be high because of supply and especially demand.     

He calls Wells a smart player who can play in all situtations, put points on the board and is one of the fastest skaters in the WHL.  Campese says Button has been the consumate Raider who was excellent on the ice and exemplary in the community.

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The Raiders also get Seattle's first round import pick this June which gives them the option of making a selection or trading to another team.  The Raiders have made deals in past import drafts.  The first was for Jordan Hickmott in June of 2008 and last year's deal sending Hickmott to Edmonton for Sebastian Svensden and a third round bantam draft choice in which they also flipped their import pick to Tri City for a fourth rounder in the 2011 bantam draft.

Ironcially, it was Svendsen who was at the centre of the Raiders second significant deal before the Monday deadline.  Campese says they weren't looking to move 19 year old from Denmark but the offer from Moose Jaw was too good to turn down. 

The Raiders get big 17 year old forward Michal Hlinka as well as the Warriors third and sixth round bantam picks this spring which was a big key to the deal.          

Campese says that gives the Raiders a first, three third and three fourth round picks in this spring's bantam lottery.  He feels with seven picks in first four rounds they have the option of selecting seven players or utilizing some picks in future trades.

Campese calls Hlinka a big forward who adds size down the middle or on the wing if he proves he can play at the WHL level.  Hlinka has played in 22 games after being selected by the Warriors in last June's import draft.  However, Campese feels they have improved the team's depth up front, gotten a little younger and stockpiled draft picks.

He also feels improved play this year by defensemen Tyler Yaworski, Harrison Ruopp, James Bettauer and rookie Matt Berry was a major consideration in the Button trade.

Wells and Hlinka are slated to debut in Raider uniforms tomorrow night at home against Brandon.

dwilson@rawlco.com