BRAD RICHARDS

The three scenarios:

1 Trade him for an excellent prospect (desirably a center or stud d-man) before Mondays deadline. Of course this prospect would have to come from a team Brad agreed to waive his no-trade clause for, and waiving it for any team at all is no certainty.

2 Get him back into the lineup and allow him to aid the pursuit of a playoff spot. Then, around Entry Draft time (mid-June), if no extension seems possible, trade negotiating rights to a team interested in signing him on July 1. This might land a decent to mid-range draft pick, or an ok prospect.

3 Get him back healthy for this playoff drive. The team gets in and tests itself in the post season. Meantime, new ownership becomes imminent and immediately negotiations begin on a long term deal that would keep Brad in Dallas for most of the next decade.

As far as I can see, that's it. Door A. Door B. Or Door C.