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. Replica Shoes Wholesale .Y. - Geno Smith still thinks of himself as the New York Jets starting quarterback. Shoes Wholesale China Market . - First-timer Chris Harris Jr. http://www.wholesaleshoes.us.org/. That still leaves a big hole.You dont replace the leadership, defensive co-ordinator Billy Davis said. You just dont. Leadership is something that is earned over time. Cheap Shoes China Wholesale . - A late-game interception by defensive back Malcolm Butler saved the Super Bowl for the New England Patriots. Wholesale Shoes 2020 . Notes on P.K. Subban, Dale Weise, Erik Haula, Mikael Granlund, Ilya Bryzgalov and more.VANCOUVER -- The man charged with the job of revitalizing the Vancouver Canucks made his first major move toward erasing the memory of one of the teams worst seasons in recent history. Trevor Linden, the former Vancouver captain who has taken over as the teams president, put his stamp on the Canucks by firing head coach John Tortorella on Thursday. Linden said the action was the first step in moving on from a frustrating season that saw the Canucks miss the playoffs for the first time since 2008. "Today is about the future of this team and the goal of getting it back to the Stanley Cup playoffs," Linden told a news conference. Tortorellas firing was expected, but Linden said he didnt want to rush the decision. "I tried to come in from a neutral place," he said. "At the end of the day I kept coming back to a lot of things I didnt like that I saw trending. I just felt to move forward and kind of put a new perspective and new direction, it was the right thing to do." Besides Tortorella, assistant coach Mike Sullivan was also relieved of his duties. They join fired president and general manager Mike Gillis as those paying the price for a dismal year that saw the Canucks finish 25th overall. Assistant coaches Glen Gulutzan and Darryl Williams and goaltender coach Roland Melanson will keep their jobs. Linden hopes to have a new general manager hired by the end of the month. The search for a coach could coincide with looking for a GM. "I have a real strong (GM) candidate list that I will be starting the interview process next week," said Linden. "I think the two processes can move along together for a certain period of time. "Its important the manager have a great deal of input on the coaching direction. That would be the ideal situation." One of the names most frequently mentioned for the Vancouver GMs job is Jim Benning, Bostons assistant general manager and a former teammate of Linden. The Bruins have the potential to play deep into the Stanley Cup playoff. Linden refused to be specific about any candidates but indicated playoff teams may be willing to let him talk to their staff. "I have not got any pushback on timing from a playoff standpoint," he said. Linden wants a coach with experience at "many levels." The person must be a teacher and be able to communicate with his players. One of the most popular Canucks of all time, Linden is trying to repair the teams image and its relationship with fans left disillusioned by Vancouvers drop from the ranks of the NHLs elite. "This is a fresh start for our team and youll see us make some other changes this summer," he said in a letter to season ticket holders. "It starts with how we shape our management and coaching staffs and the roster improvements were able to make." The Canucks had a good start under Tortorella but finished the year with a 36-35-11 record for 83 points. The Canucks had justt 13 wins in the 41 games since Jan.dddddddddddd 1. Vancouver also struggled to score, managing just 196 goals on the season, leaving the Canucks tied for second least in the league. At an April 14 season-ending news conference Tortorella was blunt when he said the Canucks are getting old and the core needed revitalizing. Linden was asked about the comments. "We talked about that," he said. "I dont totally agree with everything he said." Tortorella, who won a Stanley Cup coaching Tampa Bay in 2004, was hired as the Canucks 17th head coach last June to replace the fired Alain Vigneault. Vigneault took over Tortorellas old team, the New York Rangers, and has led them into the second round of this seasons playoffs. Tortorella has four years remaining on a contact which is estimated at US$2 million a season. Its estimated the Canucks owe Gillis $4 million for the remaining four years left on his contract. Tortorella could be cantankerous, even rude, when dealing with the media during his five seasons with the Rangers. He kept his promise to be different in Vancouver, where he was cordial and often humorous when talking to reporters. On the ice Tortorella preached defence and shot blocking. He used star players Daniel and Henrik Sedin on the penalty kill. He also faced criticism for the amount of ice time he heaped on front-line players like the Sedins and centre Ryan Kesler, who averaged 21 minutes 48 seconds of ice time a night. Tortorellas decision to start rookie goaltender Eddie Lack in the outdoor Heritage Classic game frustrated veteran Roberto Luongo. That decision eventually resulted in Luongo being traded to Florida. A rash of injuries took their toll, Both Sedins, Alex Burrows and defenceman Chris Tanev all missed a significant number of games with injuries. Noted for his fiery manner behind the bench Tortorella shocked management and the teams owners when he tried to get into the Calgary Flames locker-room following a line brawl in a Jan. 18 game in Vancouver. Tortorella was prevented from getting at Flames coach Bob Hartley and was suspended for six games. The Canucks were 2-4-0 during that period, then 2-7-1 when Tortorella returned. Linden said that incident did not factor in Tortorellas firing. Canuck players said they played a role in the fate of both Gillis and Tortorella. "The bottom line is if we win more games, then guys dont lose their jobs," said defenceman Kevin Bieksa. Among the available coaches is Barry Trotz, who was fired from Nashville last month after 15 seasons with the Predators. Other candidates include L.A. assistant coach John Stevens and former Tampa Bay coach Guy Boucher. "We will do everything we can to make this team as good as it can be and get back to the Stanley Cup playoffs," Linden said. "We have ideas of how we can do that. "Going down that path you need things and puzzles to fit together." ' ' '