Fussball » Devan Dubnyk, whose .917 save percentage over the last thre

TSN Radio 1050 Maple Leafs reporter Jonas Siegel addresses five questions as training camp unfolds this week in Toronto. First up, the defence. Perhaps the greatest unknown on the roster – as to its assembly or construct – the Toronto defence remained more or less intact from 2013, save for added depth in the form of Paul Ranger and T.J. Brennan. Stability with this group will therefore hinge (in all likelihood) on the revival of Jake Gardiner and to a lesser degree, the continued ascension of Cody Franson (as yet unsigned). Gardiner is the variable who could in some ways make or break the Leafs blueline. The 23-year-old rode the waves of turbulence a year ago, battling the lingering undercurrent of a concussion and its after-effects. He re-emerged as a bright spot in the playoffs, busting out with five points in six games against the Bruins. That player, the one who made noise with his legs, aggressiveness and unpredictability, is the one the Leafs need to return this season. Its that Gardiner who can dictate the action and alter a shift in an instant with an icy swagger, elements that are unseen elsewhere on this roster (Morgan Rielly not withstanding). His efforts will still require and certainly receive much prodding from Carlyle, primarily as it relates to his assertiveness and positioning in the defensive zone, but that ability to make something out of nothing with the puck is what the Leafs desire and missed last season. Franson saw his role grow and grow last season, from under 14 minutes in January to upwards of 22 in April, and the now 26-year-old delivered, finishing amongst the leaders at his position in scoring. In addition to his increased responsibility, which included first duty power-play, Franson also showed more assertiveness defensively, with prodding from Carlyle paying dividends. A breakthrough 2013 continued in the postseason, with the B.C. native and unsigned restricted free agent adding three goals and six points in nearly 23 minutes against the Bruins. He and Gardiner teamed together in the final three games of the first round against Boston – with Fraser sidelined – and proved Torontos most effective pair, a preview perhaps of what Carlyle may opt for this season. If the Leafs can achieve stability beyond their predicted top pair of Dion Phaneuf and Carl Gunnarsson from a second pair of Gardiner and Franson then the assembled group may just be deep enough with NHL experience to get by. Beyond the aforementioned, the final three spots figure to be assumed initially by some combination of Mark Fraser, John-Michael Liles, Paul Ranger, Korbinian Holzer, T.J. Brennan and perhaps, though it would seem unlikely – considering the risks and cap crunch – Morgan Rielly. While by no means a certainty Fraser would seem to have locked up a spot considering the rarity of his skill-set in this group – an edgy stay-at-home defender – and performance in such a role last season. Ranger too, would be inclined to hold a spot. The former Lightning defender impressed Toronto brass in his stint with the Marlies last season, his gifts of old – easy mobility, NHL-caliber first pass, sturdiness defensively – rediscovered in relatively short order following a lengthy absence from the game. That would leave one spot to Liles, Holzer, Brennan or Rielly. The Leafs would be thrilled if the Liles from two years ago flourishes once more – though his fit under Carlyle will always be in question. Holzer struggled in his NHL duties last season though he was miscast for a role on the top pairing with Phaneuf and may perform more effectively on a bottom pair. Brennan meanwhile, joins the organization from Florida and projects as more of a depth defenceman at this point. Rielly is the wild card in many respects. The organization can opt to keep him with the NHL club – with a nine-game trial period – or send him back to junior in Moose Jaw. Regardless of his apparent readiness in training camp, the decision is complicated both by the cap considerations (Rielly is due significant change with the Leafs tight under the cap) and the inherent risks of holding onto a teenager and thus burning a year of his entry-level eligibility. Carlyle kept Cam Fowler as a teenager in Anaheim so hes evidently not against the prospect if he deems Rielly ready for the challenge, especially in the defensive zone. With a Gardiner revival, Franson progression and the likelihood of an improved third pairing with greater NHL depth, the Leaf defence may prove steady. Gardiner is ultimately the key; his return to previous performance allows the likes of Fraser, Ranger, Liles etc. to fall into suitable positions within the lineup. Air Max 90 Cheap Uk . 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Bouchard got the rivalry going two years ago when she won the junior Wimbledon title over Svitolina.An attractive team for fantasy owners, because they are on the rise with elite young talent, the Edmonton Oilers require a lot of faith in their potential. Top Picks: A rising star, potential superstar, LW Taylor Hall stayed healthy last season and finished ninth in the scoring race with 50 points in 45 games. This despite scoring on a career-low 10.4% of his shots on goal. Hall is only 21, will get a look at centre early in the season, and can reasonably be expected to be a point-per-game player for the forseeable future, but maybe there is more. Maybe he has enough to push 100 points, a real benchmark that would put him near the very top of the league but, right now, as a left winger who comes with some injury risk (based on his first two seasons) and a likelihood of scoring a point per game, Hall is a potential first-round, but likely second-round, pick in most fantasy leagues. RW Jordan Eberle scored 76 points in 79 games in 2011-2012, raising expectations, but that wasnt fair since he scored on 18.9% of his shots that season, a number that is simply not sustainable for more than 99% of players in the league. As Eberles shooting percentage fell last season, the shooting percentage of his linemates also dipped, practically over-correcting for the previous seasons inflated totals and, as a result, Eberle went from 0.97 points per game the year before to 0.77 points per game last season. Finding a point somewhere in between, however, is a reasonable projection for a skilled offensive winger who can be a No. 2 right wing for fantasy owners. Value Plays: Newly-acquired LW David Perron is a skilled forward, a two-time 20-goal scorer, with good size and hes shaken free of concussion problems that cost him more than a season of game action, playing all 48 games in 2013. While Perron effectively played on the Blues top line last season, it was in a two-way role, so hell likely find more favourable offensive matchups in Edmonton. Leave it to a shortened season for C Sam Gagner to have a breakthrough season, his 0.79 points per game a 25% jump over his previous career high. Gagner wont come as cheaply this year as a result, but hes also in a position to put up points so long as he remains healthy because that gives him the edge right out of training camp. The Oilers other scoring centre is supposed to be 2011 first overall pick Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who is going into his third season after a sophomore year that was a mess. Saddled with terrible percentages and playing tougher minutes when Shawn Horcoff was injured, Nugent-Hopkins finished with four goals and 24 points in 40 gamees.ddddddddddddHes a playmaker with great vision and should be a fine fit with Hall and Eberle when all are healthy, but Nugent-Hopkins is also recovering from shoulder surgery and while recovery appears to be going well, he could miss time in the first month of the season, which makes him a risk-reward selection on draft day. With his scoring potential, Nugent-Hopkins has value as a possible No. 3 centre for fantasy owners. Sleepers/Breakthrough: A fantastic finish to the 2013 season, which included 11 goals and 15 points in the final 14 games, lifted Nail Yakupovs rookie season from unimpressive to Calder Trophy challenger in short order and raised the bar for what might be expected for an encore in his second season. Hes not going to score on 21.0% of his shots again, but he could also play more than 14:34 per game, so hes going to be a productive part of the Oilers second line. His potential makes a No. 3 right wing spot reasonable for fantasy owners. Another of last years highly-touted rookies, D Justin Schultz didnt disappoint in his ability to move the puck, scoring 27 points in 48 games, but he was minus-17, so that is a category that needs improvement if hes going to make the most of his value. Injuries and a declining role limit the appeal of Ales Hemsky, but he bears monitoring. If he finds his way to a significant role with the current Oilers cast, he could be productive enough and ought to be a bargain on draft day. Should the Oilers finally start to achieve their potential as a team, that would result in a payoff for G Devan Dubnyk, whose .917 save percentage over the last three seasons ranks 14th. As hes the clear starter in Edmonton, Dubnyk is a fair No. 2 fantasy goaltender. In real longshot territory, keep an eye on LW Linus Omark and D Denis Grebeshkov, one-time Oilers returning from Switzerland and Russia, respectively. Omark has offensive ability (scoring 69 points in 48 Swiss League games last season), but needs an opportunity if hes going to put up numbers in the NHL. Rookies: 27-year-old D Anton Belov had 26 points in 46 KHL games last season, so he may offer some offensive upside, if he secures a regular spot on the Oilers blueline. So many young players have been thrust into the Oilers lineup in recent seasons that there just isnt room for many more to be put in position to score, but Belov might have an opportunity to play on the power play, so he bears watching. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. ' ' '