COLLINGWOOD, ONT a€“ Five years ago it was he who was the Maple Leafs hotshot teenage prospect. Clarence Weatherspoon Jersey . Nazem Kadri, now 23 and nearly 200 games into his NHL career, admits to seeing a lot of himself in the latest reincarnation, William Nylander, Torontoa€?s first-round pick from the June draft. He sees it in the skill. He sees it in the confidence and the swagger. He sees it in the seemingly limitless offensive upside and, admittedly, little regard to defensive play. But even Kadri needed a little bit more development time after his electric exhibition tour in the fall of 2009 or so the organization, led then by Brian Burke and Ron Wilson, thought at the time. A similar decision now looms in the case of Nylander, vying to make the Leafs as an 18-year-old. Is the Swede, picked eighth overall at the draft in Philly, ready to play in the NHL? It would appear not. a€?Ita€?s hard to say,a€? said Kadri of Nylandera€?s NHL readiness, emphasizing that he was a player and in no real position to judge. a€?I definitely think he can play in the NHL, therea€?s no question about that. Ita€?s just a matter of whether he can go through the whole 82-game schedule and the whole grind it takes and the travel schedule, little things like that.a€? Nylandera€?s skills are unquestionably NHL-grade, but ita€?s become clear over the course of two weeks that he isna€?t ready to be a Leaf just yet. Hea€?s offered flashes, no doubt a€“ his hands, vision and bursts of speed obvious and impressive assets a€“ but he hasna€?t left the nightly impression that hea€?s ready to make an impact as a teenager and do so from October to April and possibly beyond. That fact should be clear-cut for a club to hold onto its prized top prospect, a reality that now seems unlikely with only one exhibition game to go. a€?The puck follows him around and he gets his offensive chances, thata€?s for sure,a€? said head coach, Randy Carlyle of Nylander. a€?But youa€?ve always got to caution yourself; he is only 18-years-old and wea€?re asking him to do something that he has not done before as far as playing at this level, so ita€?s always continually a test.a€? The Leafs have given him every opportunity to perform; theya€?ve played him in five of the seven preseason games to date and paired him with Kadri most nights. And while he scored a goal late in the first exhibition game, hea€?s become less and less noticeable opposite competition thata€?s gotten better and better. Morgan Rielly was a slam-dunk case last fall. He was noticeably ready, both mentally and physically, and forced the hand of Carlyle and Nonis with a standout preseason a€“ though, he oddly sat out the first two games of the regular season. Unlike Rielly, who came right in with a thick NHL-ready frame, Nylander hasna€?t shown that his size wona€?t be an issue for 82 games, though he hasna€?t been a€?burieda€? either. a€?I dona€?t know if I can say that,a€? Nylander said of his readiness to play in the NHL, pointing to Fridaya€?s finale against Detroit as perhaps the best test with a cast of regular Red Wings likely to be in the lineup. The team appears to be handling his case in a manner that mirrors Rielly, who was picked fifth overall in 2012. They want to be sure, as Carlyle framed it again Thursday, that what they do now is in the best long-term interests of Nylander. a€?Does it stunt some young playera€?s development by putting him in situations they cana€?t survive in?a€? Carlyle queried. a€?And thata€?s the tough decision you have to make on your young players at times.a€? The wrong move can end up hurting the prospect in the long run, as it may have in the case of Luke Schenn, a top-five pick of the Leafs in 2008, who made the roster as an untested, but physically mature 18-year-old. More and more teams are pushing their top prospects quickly into the NHL, both because of the cap a€“ where value is highest from contributors on entry-level contracts a€“ and because many appear to be ready to play and contribute right away a€“ Nathan MacKinnon no better a recent example. a€?Back then it was little more physical, clutch-and-grab type style and maybe it was a little harder for young guys, smaller guys and lighter guys to get around the ice, especially with bigger guys and bigger defencemen,a€? Kadri said of the evolution. a€?Now, all youa€?re really seeing is mobile and agile players. Theya€?ve really taken those roles out of the game and made it a lot faster. So I think younger guys have a better chance to make it than they did back then.a€? Carlyle, who won a Norris Trophy as a player, says he was ill-prepared to play in the league as a teenager, though he made the leap as a 20-year-old. a€?No,a€? he said firmly. a€?I was nowhere near ready.a€? a€?I just think the level of player is a higher level of player,a€? he continued. a€?Theya€?re better players. Theya€?re better athletes. Theya€?re stronger a€| They separate themselves in two areas - with hockey sense and with skating ability.a€? Nylander certainly has both gifts, which is why his status is even in question at this stage late in camp. But not every young kid is MacKinnon and unless the coaching staff and new management, led by Brendan Shanahan, can say with certainty that Nylander is ready for a full NHL campaign, then his place is somewhere besides the Leafs (and therea€?s nothing wrong with that). If therea€?s been a benefit to training camp for him, ita€?s been the constant learning in an NHL setting, be it from teammates or coaches. A hint of that emerged during practice Thursday when he pulled Carlyle aside for a question or two about the system, one particular drill giving him pause. a€?Ita€?s been a good learning experience for me,a€? he said. The Leafs could opt to extend their evaluation process beyond the preseason. Nylander can play in nine regular season games before the first year of his entry-level contract kicks in. Barring that, the choice would come down to a tour with the Marlies or a return to the Swedish Hockey League, where he is currently a free agent. Both avenues certainly have their merit; the AHL offers an extended acclimation to the North American ice and schedule; Sweden offers limelight-less development in a quality league where Nylander struggled some last season (one goal in 22 games). The prudent (and sometimes slower) path isna€?t always fun a€“ be it for the player or fans. And Kadri made no secrets about his frustration with it, but looking back now he understands the upside it eventually offered. That would appear the best solution for the younger version of himself. Moses Malone Jersey . Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Buddy Robinson scored 43 seconds apart in the second period to lead the Binghamton Senators to a 4-1 victory over the Bulldogs in American Hockey League action Friday night at the Bell Centre. Philadelphia 76ers Jerseys . Klein went undrafted in the NFL last year following his senior season with the Wildcats. He was invited to the Houston Texans rookie camp, but was not offered a contract. http://www.official76ersproshop.com/kids-ben-simmons-76ers-jersey/ . The club announced Friday that Mauro Biello will be kept on as an assistant to coach Jesse Marsch when the Impact join the MLS in 2012.DUNEDIN, Florida – On Wednesday, it was J.A. Happs turn to play in the ongoing game of hot potato, better known as the competition to determine who will comprise the back end of the Blue Jays starting rotation. When the figurative music stops on March 31, Opening Day, general manager Alex Anthopoulos, manager John Gibbons and pitching coach Pete Walker will make whats becoming an increasingly difficult decision thanks to consistently mediocre to subpar performances by the candidates. Walker said before Wednesdays 11-6 win over the Phillies that the game was a "big start" for Happ. He needed to pitch in the strike zone. Happ needed to force Philadephias hitters to make contact. He was scheduled to pitch four or five innings with a pitch count of 70, give or take a few. Turns out Happ threw 71 pitches but did so in only 2 2/3 innings. Only 34 of those pitches were strikes. He laboured, to be generous, allowing three runs on three hits and four walks. Afterward, Happ saw his afternoon in a positive light. "It was good," he said. "I felt strong out there. Maybe a little too good but everything was good. Health was good." The health to which Happ refers is his back, an ailment which has kept him out of Grapefruit League action since he was pulled in the first inning of a March 3 start against the Twins. Happ intends to focus on developing his rhythm, interrupted due to injury, next time out. Hes looking to more consistently harness the new arm slot he employed in the final month of last season. Happ watched video of his start and noticed hed reverted to an over-the-top angle. Its all in the name of better efficiency. "Thats the same story for everybody," said Gibbons. "To be successful in the big leagues youve got to throw a lot of strikes. Youve got to throw that strike one. You fall behind guys, it turns everything in the hitters favour and just the opposite for the pitcher. Hes capable of doing that." Two weeks ago, the 31-year-old was bothered by Anthopoulos suggestion that his spot in the starting rotation was in question. Happ isnt dwelling on it now, saying he cant worry about what he cant control. Its apparent he will be on the team, as will Esmil Rogers and Todd Redmond, his competitors for a final rotation job. The question is who will be the starter and which two will work out of a bullpen which is expected to feature eight relievers. Its believed Happ is in the drivers seat, partly because Rogers doesnt throw enough of his repertoire for strikes and Redmond tends to struggle once the oppositions lineup turns over. Remember, too, that Happ is owed $5.2 million this year on an extension signed the day Ricky Romero was cut from camp last spring. The idea of having $12.7 million on the books for Happ and Romero, with neither in the starting rotation, cant be a pleasant one. "I dont feel like Im far," said Happ. "You guys, youre going to take that outing for what it was and it doesnt look pretty. Pitch-wise, like I said, Im up to 70 and next time be 85-90 and still feel strong thatll be a good thing. Im close." "Im looking forward to his next start," said Gibbons. &qquot;Thats all Ive got to say. Julius Erving Jersey. " The game of hot potato continues on Thursday when the Blue Jays visit the Phillies. Another back end of the rotation candidate gets the start. Over to you, Esmil Rogers. ROMERO AND STROMAN REASSIGNED Ricky Romero and Marcus Stroman shipped out to minor league camp on Wednesday morning. Both were outsiders, at best, to crack the opening day roster but both impressed at times during Grapefruit League play. "We just feel they both need more work," said manager John Gibbons. "As far as Ricky, hes moving in the right direction. We really like what he did this camp. Just go down there and polish it up. Stro, hes kind of the odd man out. He had trouble throwing strikes (Tuesday). Hes got to do that. They both need more work." After two down years the bar wasnt set high for Romero. With that as a consideration, its fair to say he exceeded expectations. He had two positive outings before he cratered against the Tigers on Tuesday, reverting to his wild ways. "He showed us enough in the previous two outings before (Tuesday) that you know what, hey, its coming," said Gibbons. "Its a long road and you never really know whether a guy is going to make it back or not but he was starting to show the signs of it." Stroman showed flashes of the pitcher the Blue Jays believe he will become but he was inconsistent all spring, culminating with an ugly performance on Tuesday. The Tigers knocked him around for seven runs on five hits in one-third of an inning. "We brought Stroman in, he pitched in Double-A for us and he had a legitimate shot (at making the club,") said Gibbons. "We dont think hes quite ready. Hes not polished yet so hes got to go down there and work on some things." The Jays still need to add two to a rotation which features R.A. Dickey, Brandon Morrow and Mark Buehrle. While the pitching coach offers praise to Drew Hutchison, Pete Walker wont yet guarantee him a spot. "Not ready to say that," said Walker. "Obviously, were extremely pleased with the way hes thrown the ball. Hes certainly shown hes capable of getting major league hitters out. His velocity, his strength, his bounce back, right now, after outings has been fantastic. Hes shown poise on the mound. Hes done everything you need to do to earn a spot, theres no question, but were just in a position right now, were sorting through some things to make sure we make the right decision." SANCHEZ AROUND FOR EXPERIENCE Aaron Sanchez is getting plenty of opportunity to pitch in Grapefruit League games, often the back end of a starters piggyback. Hes thrown as many as four innings in a game and is scheduled to work in relief of Todd Redmond against the Rays on Friday. "He wont make the team," said manager John Gibbons. "We want to keep him around, pitching in some of these games for the experience factor." Sanchez, 21, is considered the Jays top pitching prospect. He threw 109 2/3 innings combined with High-A Dunedin and in the Arizona Fall League last season. Its expected he will begin the year at Double-A New Hampshire. 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