apart in negotiations, finally landing (with some frustration) on ano

(SportsNetwork.com) - The New York Islanders have lost ground in the NHL playoff race during a five-game slide and the club may have more bad news coming down the pike. But first, the struggling club hopes to avoid a sixth consecutive setback on Tuesday when it visits the Washington Capitals at Verizon Center. Watch the Islanders vs. Capitals live tonight on TSN2 at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. In addition to posting an 0-4-1 record during its current slide, the Isles are also having difficulty convincing winger Thomas Vanek to stay with the club and New York may wind up trading the Austrian winger. According to a report Monday in Newsday, Vanek, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent in July, has turned down a "substantial contract offer" from the Isles. The report also says New York general manager Garth Snow is fielding offers from teams looking to acquire the 30-year-old forward. Vanek was acquired from Buffalo in a trade on Oct. 27 and he has 15 goals and 38 points in 41 games with the Islanders after becoming part of a formidable top line with John Tavares and Kyle Okposo. If Vanek is dealt by the Isles, it will turn out to be a costly rental for the club. New York sent winger Matt Moulson to the Sabres along with a first-round pick in this summers draft as well as a second-rounder in 2015 to land Vanek. The NHL trade deadline for this season is March 5. The Islanders went 10-3-0 from Dec. 29-Jan. 21 before losing five in a row. The clubs last two losses came against the rival New York Rangers, who posted a 2-1 regulation win over the Isles in last Wednesdays outdoor game at Yankee Stadium before notching a 4-1 home win Friday night at Madison Square Garden. Derick Brassard and Brad Richards scored less than three minutes apart in the third period to support a strong effort from Henrik Lundqvist in the Rangers win over the Isles at MSG. Okposo had the lone score for the struggling Islanders, while Evgeni Nabokov stopped 33-of-36 chances in defeat. "We just looked like we ran out of gas," Tavares said. "We just didnt seem to have that extra gear when we needed it." With 50 points, the Isles are currently 13th out of 15 teams in the Eastern Conference and 12 points out of a playoff spot. Including tonights tilt, New York has three games left before the NHL breaks for the Winter Olympics. After visiting Washington on Tuesday, the Isles will host Calgary and Colorado on Thursday and Saturday, respectively. After losing seven in a row from Jan. 12-24, Washington has recorded three wins over its last five games and is 3-1-1 during that stretch. The Capitals split a home-and-home series with Detroit over the weekend, losing Fridays road portion against the Red Wings 4-3 in a shootout before taking Sundays wild 6-5 overtime decision at the Verizon Center. Alex Ovechkin scored a power-play goal 2:37 into overtime to lift the Capitals to Sundays entertaining matinee battle in D.C. Red Wings defenseman Brendan Smith was called for tripping at the 1:26 mark of the extra session. The Capitals moved the puck around and John Carlson fed Ovechkin for a one-timer from the left circle. Ovechkin has scored seven times over his last nine games and he is leading the NHL with 39 goals. His next goal will give Ovechkin 40 or more markers in a season for the sixth time in his career and for the first time since he posted 50 in 2009-10. Joel Ward registered two goals and one assist on Sunday and Jason Chimera added a goal and two helpers for the Capitals, who overcame blowing a trio of two-goal leads to win for the third time in their last 12 games. "We came out great and they never gave up; they are a really good hockey team," said Washington head coach Adam Oates. Michal Neuvirth picked up the win despite surrendering five goals on 30 shots. The Capitals expect to be without defenseman Mike Green for a third straight game after he suffered a concussion last week against Columbus. Green tried to practice on Monday, but he left for the dressing room after 10 minutes. Washington forwards Mikhail Grabovski (sprained left ankle), Brooks Laich (groin), Eric Fehr (lower body) and Aaron Volpatti (upper body) are also questionable for tonights contest. The Caps, who are three points out of a playoff spot in the East, are 2-0 against the Islanders this season and have won three straight and five of the past seven games in this series. Washington is 8-2-1 in the past 11 encounters in D.C. Cheap Real Jordans . The veteran fighter will be squaring off with Henderson in a five-round lightweight bout as part of another network televised card at the United Center on Saturday night. Cheap Jordans From China . The rest of the team was already on the field stretching before batting practice while Puig was getting dressed in the clubhouse. He had been slated to start in right field for the afternoon game against the San Francisco Giants, who beat the Dodgers 8-4. http://www.realjordanshoescheap.com/ . Those who impressed in each of the three events were asked to attend the main CFL Combine which begins Friday in Toronto. Air Jordan Outlet . MLS Commissioner Don Garber and Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez also will attend the session, which was announced Monday. The league has discussed placing its next two expansion teams in Miami and Atlanta. Discount Jordan Shoes . 11 Ana Ivanovic and American Sloane Stephens, and former world No.TORONTO – For the third time in three years the Maple Leafs and Cody Franson went down to the wire and begrudgingly agreed to a one-year deal. Due for player-elected salary arbitration in Toronto on Monday, Franson came to a last-minute agreement with the Leafs, inked for one more season at $3.3 million, a raise from the $2 million he garnered a year ago. Acquired in a trade from Nashville in the summer of 2011, the 26-year-old has butted heads with the organization in each and every contract negotiation, settling for a series of one-year deals which have highlighted the divide in presumed value between the two sides. Fransons camp believes his value is evident in production that ranks favourably at the defensive position – his 62 points over the past two seasons ranks 20th amongst NHL defenders – and a growing physical game – he led all blueliners in hits a year ago. He also showed comparatively strong possession numbers on a weak possession team and helped anchor a strong Toronto power-play unit. The Leafs were frustrated, however, with his defensive limitations and proved to be disappointed in his overall performance as a top-four defender last season. Hence, the ongoing divide. In the winter of 2013, the contract showdown lasted right up until the end of the lockout, an agreement for $1.2 million reached while Fransoon played overseas in Sweden.ddddddddddddLast fall, coming off a breakout 48-game campaign, he and the Leafs remained, nonetheless, far apart in negotiations, finally landing (with some frustration) on another one-year deal worth $2 million with only two games to go in the preseason. It was a bargain the B.C. native felt he had no choice but to take. A restricted free agent one last time this summer, but with more leverage in the form of salary arbitration, Franson squeezed out a raise of $1.3 million. Yet to be embraced by the organization and set for unrestricted free agency next summer, he remains a candidate to be moved. Toronto has already restructured much of its previously mishmashed defence, bringing in a pair of Western Conference mainstays, Stephane Robidas and Roman Polak, aboard earlier in the summer. They also boast internal candidates – Petter Granberg, Stuart Percy, Korbinian Holzer and Andrew MacWilliam – who may be ready to step into the NHL next season, thus filling Fransons void if he were to be moved. The Leafs, who project to have plenty of cap space remaining, continue to work on new contracts for Jake Gardiner and James Reimer. Reimer, who is likely returning to the club next season despite a desire to start fresh elsewhere, is scheduled for salary arbitration on July 28th. ' ' '