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, Draisaitl, 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. Benito Santiago Jersey . Louis Cardinals won the World Series last season, but after losing first baseman Albert Pujols to free agency and manager Tony LaRussa to retirement, they opened the 2012 season in 12th spot in the TSN. Cheap Cubs Jerseys . The Blue Jackets announced the injury through their official Twitter account Friday afternoon. Gaborik, 31, has scored five goals and six assists in 17 games with the Blue Jackets in 2013-14. https://www.cheapcubs.com/340t-kyle-ryan-jersey-cubs.html. Josh Bailey had a goal and an assist as the New York Islanders earned a 2-1 win over Ottawa Wednesday, leaving the Senators five points out of a playoff spot with just five games to play and four teams ahead of them. Cubs Jerseys China . Today, their baseball playing sons were reportedly traded for each other. According to the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Cubs dealt minor league outfield Trevor Gretzky to the Angels for catcher Matt Scioscia. Chicago Cubs Shirts . Anything less than gold for either nation is considered a disappointment. Yet for Switzerland, advancing to the semifinal might be a victory in itself.NEW YORK, N.Y. -- The Yankees talked frugality, then reverted to their high-spending ways. New York capped an off-season spending spree by agreeing Wednesday to a $155 million, seven-year contract with prized Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka. Following just the second season in 19 years that didnt include a playoff appearance, the Yankees flexed their economic might and committed $438 million to four free agents. Tanaka joined catcher Brian McCann and outfielders Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran on a revamped roster missing long-time All-Stars Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte and Robinson Cano. And in addition to the deal with the 25-year-old right-hander, the Yankees must pay a $20 million posting fee to Tanakas Japanese club, the Rakuten Golden Eagles. "Anybody that questioned our commitment to winning is going to have to question themselves," Yankees co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner said during a telephone interview with The Associated Press. Big league teams had until Friday to reach an agreement with Tanaka, who was 24-0 with a 1.27 ERA last year as the Golden Eagles won the Japan Series title. Arizona, the Chicago Cubs and White Sox, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston all said they were among the failed bidders. Still, the Yankees have ample uncertainty — especially in an AL East where they compete with World Series champion Boston. And especially with a veteran team that saw 21 players go on the disabled list last year. David Robertson appears set to inherit the closers role from the retired Rivera, and New York must try to make up the offence lost when Cano left for a $240 million, 10-year deal with Seattle. Alex Rodriguez is suspended for the entire season and 39-year-old shortstop Derek Jeter has played just 17 games since October 2012. "I think the entire infield is certainly something that people will focus on," New York general manager Brian Cashman said. "Whats Brian Roberts going to be? Whats Derek Jeter going to be as he comes back from his injury? Whats Mark Teixeira going to be at first base as he comes back from his wrist? Can Kelly Johnson secure and handle on a consistent basis third base?" New York went 85-77 last year, its worst record since 1992. Attendance and television ratings dropped. The pinstriped response was similar to the Yankees behaviour after they missed the playoffs in 2008. They spent $423.5 million on CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Teixeira, then won their 27th World Series title. This off-season included big deals for McCann ($85 million for five years), Ellsbury ($153 million for seven) and Beltran ($45 million for three). Combined with agreements to re-sign Hiroki Kuroda and Brendan Ryan, and to add Roberts, Johnson and Matt Thornton, the Yankees off-season spending on free agents totals $471 million. Add the posting fee, and the cost was nearly a half-billion dollars. "There has been criticism of myself and my brother the last couple years that, gee, if our dad was still in charge, wed be spending this and spending that and doing whatever it takes to win," Hank Steinbrenner said, referring to late Yankees owner George Steinbrenner. "He didnt have revenue sharing, at least for most of his time," Hank Steinbrenner added. "Thats what these people in the sports media dont seem to get. If it wasnt for revenue sharing, wed have a paayroll of $300 million a year if we wanted to.dddddddddddd So were doing this despite having to pay all that revenue sharing." Tanaka replaces the retired Pettitte in the rotation and joins Sabathia, Kuroda and Ivan Nova. David Phelps, Adam Warren, Michael Pineda and Vidal Nuno are in the mix for the No. 5 slot. Tanaka was 99-35 with a 2.30 ERA in seven seasons with the Golden Eagles, striking out 1,238 in 1315 innings. Yankees official has tracked him since 2007, scouting 15 of his games. They sent an eight-person delegation to meet with him Jan. 8 in Beverly Hills, Calif. "Hes got an assortment of quality pitches. Hes fastball, slider, split. Throws a cutter, too," said pitcher coach Larry Rothschild, who attended the session. "Hes showed tenacity on the mound. When he got in tougher situations, you could see he dialed it up." Tanakas agreement calls for $22 million in each of the first six seasons and $23 million in 2020, and it allows the pitcher to terminate the deal after the 2017 season and become a free agent. He also gets a full no-trade provision. Tanaka receives a $35,000 moving allowance, an annual $100,000 housing allowance to be used in New York or near the teams spring training facility in Tampa, Fla., and an interpreter of the pitchers choice at an $85,000 yearly salary. In addition to his own flight to the U.S., Tanaka annually will be provided four first-class round trip tickets between New York and Japan. Tanakas deal is the highest for an international free agent and the fifth-largest for a pitcher, trailing only the seven-years deals of the Los Angeles Dodgers Clayton Kershaw ($215 million), Detroits Justin Verlander ($180 million), Seattles Felix Hernandez ($175 million) and CC Sabathia ($161 million under his original agreement with New York). His contract boosts the Yankees payroll for purposes of the luxury tax over $203 million for 20 players with agreements. Barring trades, there is little chance New York will get under the $189 million tax threshold. Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner had been saying for two years that getting below the tax threshold in 2014 was a goal, but wouldnt get in the way of fielding a contending team. New York had great success in the Japanese market when it signed outfielder Hideki Matsui, a star from 2003-09 who was the World Series MVP in his final season in pinstripes. But the Yankees had failures with Hideki Irabu and Kei Igawa, pitchers who never lived up to their potential. Matsui was part of a video the Yankees created and showed to Tanana at their pitch meeting. Tanaka was the first player available under the new agreement between Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball, which caps posting fees at $20 million and allows multiple big league teams to negotiate. Under the previous system, in place from December 1998 through last off-season, there was no limit on the bid for negotiating rights and only the team with the top bid could try to sign the player. "It turned everything in reverse of where it was in the past," Cashman said, "where the posting numbers were extremely high, like players soccer transfer fees, to obviously a more traditional free-agent circumstance with a much lower transfer fee." AP freelance writer Mark Didtler in Tampa, Fla., contributed to this report. ' ' '