Dein erstes Forum » jumper and four free throws,

PHILADELPHIA – Maple Leafs general manager Dave Nonis spoke to Florida Panthers boss Dale Tallon on Thursday morning about the prospects of trading up for the first overall pick in Fridays draft. "But at this point," Nonis said a few hours after the conversation, "I dont think theres a deal there for us." Despite interest in moving up the ladder of the first round – from where they currently stand at eighth overall – Nonis didnt believe the current price-tag fit the bill for his club, particularly if it meant sacrificing young talent. The cost was simply too high. "It is for us," Nonis said of the first overall pick. "It may not be for other teams. I know that Dale is serious about moving it – I think hes happy to keep it as well – but hes not going to give that pick away. "Theres been dialogue, but we havent made any traction and as it stands right now, I would expect that were going to stay at eight." Having hoarded a slew of promising building blocks in recent years (including Aleksander Barkov with the second overall selection in 2013) and with the draft lacking in a consensus, slam-dunk superstar, Tallon is inclined to give up the rights for the top spot. But hes labeled the price for the pick as including a top young player, one who can step right into the Panthers lineup, and perhaps a pick or something of similar value. "Somebody has to knock our socks off for us to make the move," Tallon told TSN recently. In a different draft, Nonis might be prepared to pay that price. He was second in command to Brian Burke at the time of the 2009 draft when Burke spoke openly and aggressively about his pursuit of the first overall pick in a draft that featured star John Tavares. "That price-tag is different than possibly moving up to take the player whos going to go [first] here," Nonis said. "It doesnt mean that the player who goes [first] is not going to be a great player, but those price-tags are different and I think every team in the league would tell you that. Theres a number or a value that we place on moving up and it wouldnt include our top young players, no." Beyond Aaron Ekblad, theres a definite aura of unpredictability at the top of this draft, making the possibility of the Leafs landing a quality asset at eight all the more likely. Toronto has demonstrated a strong inclination toward selecting North American players in recent years, picking just seven Europeans since 2009 and none in the first round since 2006 when Jiri Tlusty was picked 13th overall. They may not be able to land the top centre theyve long desired with the eighth pick – Sam Bennett, Sam Reinhart and Leon Draisaitl all figure to be off the board – but theres potential to add front-line skill at wing, perhaps in the form of Nick Ritchie or Jake Virtanen (Nikolaj Ehlers and William Nylander are both intriguing, but neither seem to fit the current Toronto mold). "This [draft] may not have the superstar at the top, but I think most teams would agree theres some pretty good players in this draft that are going to be useful players on good teams," said Nonis. "Its important when youre picking at eight that you get one of those players." Back in 2008, with Cliff Fletcher minding the helm, Toronto moved up two spots in the draft to land Luke Schenn with the fifth overall pick, sending their first round selection (seventh overall) to the Islanders along with picks in the second and third round. The Leafs selected hulking centre Frederik Gauthier with their top selection a year ago (21st overall), adding Morgan Rielly to their young mix in 2012. Andy Isabella Jersey . Anything less than gold for either nation is considered a disappointment. Yet for Switzerland, advancing to the semifinal might be a victory in itself. Byron Murphy Youth Jersey . On paper, it looks a little like Andre the Giant taking on a midget wrestler. It has all the makings of a rout with the Americans adding an eighth win in nine outings of this biennial event. The Yanks have eight players in the top 15 in the world while the Internationals have just one. http://www.nflcardinalsrookiestore.com/Cardinals-Zach-Allen-Jersey/ .com) - The Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings are ready to put all the talk and hype surrounding their meeting at Dodger Stadium behind them. Zach Allen Cardinals Jersey . "Im very pleased to be able to add a quarterback with Adrians experience and skill set," Calgary head coach and general manager John Hufnagel said in a statement. Byron Murphy Cardinals Jersey . Viewers in the Jets region can watch the game on TSN Jets at 6:30pm ct/7:30pm et. The game is also avialable on TSN Radio 1290 in Winnipeg at 7pm ct.Portland, OR (SportsNetwork.com) - Damian Lillard posted 26 points and nine assists, outdueling fellow star point guard Kyle Lowry and helping the Portland Trail Blazers rally past the Toronto Raptors, 102-97, in overtime. After Terrence Ross opened the extra session with a 3-pointer, Lillard, Wesley Matthews and Nicolas Batum hit from deep at the other end on consecutive possessions. Patrick Patterson and Lowry countered with layups to make it 96-94, but a clear path foul on Toronto -- moments after a controversial no-call against Portland -- was the difference. First, Matthews got caught in the air and threw the ball up for grabs. Ross picked it off and was fouled by Lillard. The referees convened at the monitors to determine whether or not it was a clear-path foul on Lillard but ultimately ruled it a common foul. After Lowry missed a jumper with 27 seconds left, Greivis Vasquez committed a clear-path foul on Batum. He split two free throws, then Lillard made two to make it 99-94. Joel Freelands dunk following a press break in the final seconds sealed it. LeMarcus Aldridge added 23 points and 13 boards and Matthews scored 19 for Portland, which improved to 15-1 against the Eastern Conference. It was a good win to end the year on, Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. I was very pleased with the way we kept competing. Lowry tallied 25 with seven rebounds and five assists for the Raptors, who still hold a half-game lead over Atlanta for the best record in the East. Lou Williams made five free throws in 15 secconds early in the second quarter to break a 25-25 tie and start an 11-0 run for Toronto.dddddddddddd Toronto led by at least five until midway through the fourth quarter, when Aldridge followed a Steve Blake 3-pointer with a turnaround jumper to cut the deficit to 77-75. Lowry scored the next six points for the Raptors on a pull-up jumper and four free throws, but Toronto missed six shots in a row after that. Portland took advantage, drawing within one on Lillards hanging layup and tying it at 83 when Aldridge split a pair from the line. Aldridge could have given the hosts a lead, but he missed a sweeping layup and off-balance runner on the same possession. He made up for the misses two minutes later. Aldridge broke an 85-all tie with a silky mid-range jumper at 1:36. That score held until late, when an unlikely hero emerged. Freeland blocked Lowrys layup attempt twice in the final 30 seconds. His swat out of bounds with 10.1 on the clock led to Toronto inbounding from underneath their basket. It was passed in to Amir Johnson, who after failing to get the ball to Lowry, went to work in the post on Freeland and converted a difficult hook shot to tie it. Lillards driving layup fell short at the buzzer. Game Notes Portland has won nine of its last 10 ... The Blazers improved to 10-1 when Matthews scores at least 19 points and 12-2 when they make more than 10 3- pointers as a team ... Portland is 15-2 at home this season ... Toronto shot 4-for-22 from behind the arc. ' ' '