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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. Carli Lloyd Jersey .com) - The Carolina Panthers won for the first time in seven games last week, were without Cam Newton due to a car accident this week, but somehow sit atop the much-maligned NFC South. Abby Smith Jersey . -- Novak Djokovic benefited from an erroneous call and claimed he didnt realize he had broken the rules. http://www.uswntproshop.com/c-19-crystal...usa-jersey.aspx. As each game passes (each has played close with the exception of last night) it becomes clearer just how evenly matched these two teams are and how one mistake, or one bad inning, is likely to sway the result. Becky Sauerbrunn Jersey . Poti played in 824 regular NHL games with four teams in his career; the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, New York Islanders and the Washington Capitals. Kelley OHara Jersey . The third-seeded Bouchard, from Westmount, Que., was coming off a semifinal appearance at the French Open. She took the opening set before the unseeded American came back for the 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory.Even before he received the call, Ali Bagautinov had a feeling he would be challenging Demetrious Johnson for the flyweight championship. Since debuting in the UFC last year, the Dagestan native has made waves in the 125-pound division. After finishing Marcos Vinicius with punches in front of a hostile Brazilian crowd in September, Bagautinov earned consecutive decision victories over Tim Elliott and John Lineker. Immediately following his win over Lineker at UFC 169 four months ago, Bagautinov checked the UFCs official rankings and discovered hed broken into the top five. Since each fighter ranked above him had suffered recent losses to Johnson, Bagautinov knew he was next in line. "I dont know, but for some reason I had this feeling I would be given a chance at a title shot," Bagautinov told UFC.ca through a translator. "I watch all the fights in my (weight class). So I try to keep abreast of everything thats going on." Bagautinov gets his opportunity to dethrone Johnson in the headliner of UFC 174 in Vancouver, B.C. June 14. The co-main event features a pivotal welterweight bout between Rory MacDonald and Tyron Woodley. Also, former heavyweight champ Andrei Arlovski returns against Brendan Schaub. Not only would a win over Johnson be the culmination of all his hard work in both mixed martial arts and Combat Sambo, it would earn Bagautinov the distinction of being the first Russian titleholder in UFC history. The heavy-handed striker also recently became a father, welcoming his first-born son. It goes without saying that a victory would allow him to further support his family. Bagautinov admitted a lot is riding on his fight with Johnson. "First of all, its very important to me that I will go into the history books as the first UFC champion from Russia," Bagautinov said. "It is very important to me, and without a doubt, it will help me provide better for my family. "I think that you will see more and more fighters from Russia (in the UFC). We have a lot of very successful and very promising fighters. I believe that they might be champions and titleholders in different categories, in the future." Though Bagautinov is on the cusp of making a better life for himself and his loved ones, his road to a title shot has been bumpy. A recent report from MMABoxing.ru claimed the fighter failed a 2012 drug test and was retroactively suspendded for two years by the International Sambo Federation.dddddddddddd According to the article, Bagautinov was flagged for methylhexanemine, a dietary supplement and stimulant commonly found in nasal sprays that is prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency. Bagautinov has since called the report bogus, stating that had he been suspended, he wouldnt have been allowed to compete in Sambo bouts in Russia. He also said the incident hasnt interfere with his training camp. "I never even thought about it," Bagautinov said bluntly. "It did not affect my training. I would say that I did experience some indignation as to why this nonsense suddenly came up. But it didnt damage me or hurt me in any way because I am focused on my training and my preparations." With the drug accusation behind him at least for now, Bagautinov has to get the job done against Johnson, who has proven to be a difficult puzzle to solve. Since capturing the inaugural flyweight championship in 2012, Mighty Mouse has been as impressive as any champion on the UFC roster. Johnsons toughness was on display in his first title defence in early 2013, as he rallied to win a unanimous decision over John Dodson. He then put on a dominant display against John Moraga last July before sealing the deal with a fifth-round armbar submission. In December, he became the first fighter to finish Joseph Benavidez by uncorking a vicious right hook for the stunning knockout win. Though Johnsons speed, footwork and timing have given other contenders fits, Bagautinov said hes figured out the flyweight champions style. "In my understanding, his style is to actually crock up his opponent and then to win during the fourth or fifth round," Bagautinov said. "I think hes trying to play it safe by not risking too much. Hes running around the cage and looking for the ninth corner. The cage has eight corners, so its as if hes looking for the ninth corner, then (he tries to deliver) the decisive strike, with a decisive result." Though Johnsons speed and slick striking are often considered among his best tools, Bagautinov feels his power and grappling will get the job done. "As Ive said before, God willing, if I get the title it will be the result of everything that I have been doing for all these years," Bagautinov said. "You can expect a beautiful and good quality fight." ' ' '