spass-zone » I fully support Chriss decision

NEW YORK – These are busy times for Maple Leafs general manager Dave Nonis. Theres the upcoming draft in Philadelphia, a coaching staff to round out and a roster requiring some alterations and likely upheaval following another late season collapse. First up is the draft. The Leafs hold the eighth overall pick in a class thats more or less unpredictable – especially at the top. Nonis, attending the GM meetings in midtown Manhattan on Wednesday, reiterated what was first reported in the Toronto Sun, that his club would be open to moving up from their current perch or staying put if the price was too high. "Youve got a pretty good chance of getting a good player at eight or four," he said. "For us to move up the price tag would have to reflect that fact." Panthers general manager Dale Tallon is reported to have been actively shopping the first overall pick in a 2014 collection that lacks any clear-cut top prospect; defenceman Aaron Ekblad, as well as centres Sam Bennett, Leon Drasaitl, and Sam Reinhart are among the names in contention. Nonis went with a hulking, defensively-aware centre in Frederik Gauthier a year ago – his first draft as the Leafs boss – but is almost certain to add skill with the eighth pick this time around. "I wouldnt say its a priority that were going to go for the most skilled player," Nonis explained, "but I think the players that are going to be available in the top eight by and large are skill players so because of that fact theres a good chance thats what you end up with." Lacking in high-end depth organizationally down the middle, the Leafs are likely to miss out on the top-end centres (Bennett, Drasaitl, Reinhart) if they stick with their current pick, but could lean in the direction of Sault St. Marie pivot Jared McCann or a promising bunch of big, high-scoring wingers – Michael Dal Colle, Nick Ritchie, Brendan Perlini, Jake Virtanen – not to mention speedy, skilled types in Nikolaj Ehlers and Willie Nylander. "I think all those guys have ability," Nonis said. "Its not one [of those drafts] where youre going to get a hard-nosed plugger or shutdown defenceman; I think even the guys who are more rugged theres some pretty good players there." The search for a coaching staff to surround incumbent Randy Carlyle continues additionally. Opting to keep Carlyle as the lead bench boss in early May, the Leafs fired assistants Dave Farrish, Scott Gordon and Greg Cronin. Nonis declined to say how many candidates had been interviewed for jobs on the staff nor how many would interviewed in the future. "Id like to have it done sooner rather than later, but theres still quite a few people to go through and were not going to rush it," he said. As far an impending pack of free agents that includes Mason Raymond, Nik Kulemin, Dave Bolland and Jay McClement, Nonis hadnt ruled any out from a return to the club next season; the Leafs have had preliminary discussions with the Bolland camp. Nonis wouldnt rule out a return for former Leaf Leo Komarov, who plans to return to the NHL, though only at the right price-point. Air Force 1 Cheap Online .C. - Alberta prop Andrew Tiedemann will captain Canada against Uruguay on Friday, the opening day of competition at the IRB Americas Rugby Championship. Nike Air Force 1 Clearance Sale . Pekovic had an MRI test Tuesday on his right ankle that revealed bursitis, which is inflammation of the fluid-filled pad that cushions the joint. http://www.cheapairforce1ireland.com/. The Leafs were back on the ice Wednesday following an 10-day break. It apparently wasnt long enough, as Team Canadas 2-1 win over Latvia didnt conclude before the Leafs began practice. "I was thinking we might get a little delay, but it was nice to get out there," said Tyler Bozak of watching Wednesdays game. Nike Air Force 1 Ireland .C. -- Eric Staal kept his focus after his apparent breakaway goal was waived off early in the third period. Cheap Nike Air Force 1 Ireland . The two-time former Formula One champion downplayed his third-place finish three weeks ago in China and said progress is going slow for Ferrari as it tries to make up ground on Mercedes.OTTAWA -- Chris Byrne has relinquished his job as head coach of the Ottawa 67s to concentrate on his duties as general manager. Byrne has begun searching for his replacement for the 2014-15 season when the team returns to the refurbished TD Place at Lansdowne Park. "I fully support Chriss decision to dedicate 100 per cent of his time to focus his efforts on improving the calibre of our player personnel," Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group president Jeff Hunt said Monday in a statement. Byrne, a 39-year-old from Nepean, Ont., took over as head coach and GM of the 67s in 2009. Ottawa reached the conference final in 2012, but have finished ouut of the playoffs the last two seasons.dddddddddddd "The objective of the 67s is to consistently win and contend for the Memorial Cup," Byrne said. "That takes time and patience if you start with a young team that gradually improves as players mature, and our team has been the youngest in the OHL for the last two seasons. "Now its time to accelerate our learning curve and improve our quality of play." Ottawa Sports and Entertainment also owns the CFL expansion Ottawa Redblacks. The 67s have played out of the Canadian Tire Centre for two seasons while the arena and stadium at Lansdowne underwent reconstruction. ' ' '