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With the contracts of both Dion Phaneuf and Phil Kessel set to expire after this season, Maple Leafs GM Dave Nonis has his work cut out for him if he wants to re-sign what are the Leafs top earning players on a yearly basis. The Phaneuf negotiations may prove to be somewhat easier however, as the Leafs captain told TSN 1050 that unlike Kessel, he is willing to negotiate with the team during the season. “I have no issue negotiating during the year, I did my last deal during the year,” Phaneuf said in an interview with Bryan Hayes, Jamie McLennan and Jeff ONeill Friday afternoon on Leafs Lunch. "I love playing here and I want to be a part of this organization.” In the last year of a six-year, $39 million contract he signed with the Calgary Flames, the 28-year-olds stance is in contrast with the Leafs leading goal-scorer, Kessel who indicated the team may have only until the end of the month to get him to agree to a deal, saying he felt in-season negotiations would become a distraction. Coming off his second straight season finishing in the top-10 in league scoring, the 25-year-old Kessel will likely be seeking a significant increase on the $5.4 million cap hit he is currently costing the team, whereas Phaneuf may seek an amount more in line with his current $6.5 million number. Besides his contract status, Phaneuf touched on some of the other main storylines circulating around training camp, including the battle in net between James Reimer and Jonathan Bernier -- someone he got to know when the two played together at the world championships -- and the prospects of 19-year-old defenceman Morgan Rielly making the team. “Obviously theres going to be competition there between him and ‘Reims and thats good for everyone and its good for our team,” Phaneuf said. “Theres a competition at every position during training camp and thats no different.” Thus far, the Leafs captain believes both goalies are handling the situation well and is not concerned about whether the battle could eventually divide the two young netminders. “Controversy is going to come from the outside. Both of them have handled it well so far and their going to push each other for the betterment of our team.” As for Rielly, Phaneuf likes what he sees from the teams fifth overall pick in 2012. “Hes obviously a very skilled guy that skates very well, he sees the ice very well and he passes the puck, Phaneuf said. When you have guys that come out of junior, passing is the biggest thing at the next level I find and he passes the puck hard and that will help him. “Im excited to see what he does in the pre-season thats for sure.” Facing another compressed schedule as a result of the two week Olympic break, Phaneuf admitted the season will be again be a grind, but believes the coaching staff handled things well last year and is prepared for a similar situation this season. “The biggest thing for our team this year I think will be getting rest and really preparing. I think last year managing how much you practiced and your workouts, they did a really good job with our team and I think youre going to have to do much of the same this year.” Besides managing the compressed schedule, Phaneuf said he thought a key to success will be the teams focus on having a consistent approach and following the message of head coach Randy Carlyle. “We knew that if we kept to the way we had to play and to our system that we felt gave us a chance every night, thats where we grew and thats where consistency came for us. “Its the big stretches of losses that can really hurt you and I thought our consistency was very good and were going to have to do that again.” Cheap Stan Smith Australia . The England international had both goals in TFCs season-opening 2-1 win over the Seattle Sounders on Saturday. Adidas Stan Smith Online Sale . -- When Steve Blake checked in at the scorers table with 5:25 remaining in the third quarter, Stephen Curry shook his head and shouted across the court, asking Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson not to take him out. http://www.cheapstansmithaustralia.com/. He was attracted by the punishing defence, the strong running game and a coaching staff he trusted. The 49ers announced Thursday that Manningham had signed a two-year deal to join the team he helped knock out in the NFC championship game two months ago in their latest offensive upgrade at wide receiver. Adidas Stan Smith Clearance . Trailing 4-1 in the final set, Sharapova steadied her erratic service game and took command again to beat the 56th-ranked American 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 on clay at the Magic Box tennis centre. The ninth-ranked Russian looked to be cruising before McHale broke late in the second set to tie the match and then took her commanding lead in the final set after breaking Sharapova. Adidas Stan Smith Discount . -- The Orlando Magic finally are showing the patience in critical moments that coach Jacque Vaughn has been waiting for all season.With just two days prior to the Olympic trade freeze, the Pittsburgh Penguins are visiting the Buffalo Sabres in what could be Ryan Millers final home game as a member of the team with which hes spent his entire 11-year career. You can catch all of the action live on TSN2 at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. Trade rumours continue to swirl around the Team USA netminder and Wednesday night could be the final time the East Lansing, Michigan native suits up as a Sabre in front the of the First Niagara Center faithful. Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Penguins look to become just the second team to reach 40 victories on Wednesday night as they visit the Buffalo Sabres. Pittsburgh is leading the Eastern Conference with 80 points, five more than the Atlantic Division-leading Boston Bruins. That total also is just five back of the 40-13-5 Anaheim Ducks for the best record in the NHL. The Penguins, owners of a 15-point edge over the New York Rangers for first place in the Metropolitan Division, have won three of four and 10 of their last 14 games. That includes a 2-1 victory over the visiting Ottawa Senators on Monday. James Neal scored for the first time in nine games, putting home the rebound of a Robert Bortuzzo shot 1:55 into overtime for his 18th tally of the campaign. Pittsburgh outshot Ottawa 48-25 and got 24 saves from Marc-Andre Fleury. "We stuck with the game plan and kept getting pucks to the net. (Neal) made a great play in overtime for the win," said Pens forward Brian Gibbons, who notched power-play goal in the first period. Penguins defenseman Kris Letang missed his third straight game with an undisclosed illness and did not travel to Buffalo, while forward Taylor Pyatt is expected to miss the next two games with a lower-body injury suffered against Ottawa. Pittsburgh will host the New York Rangers on Friday in its final game before the Olympic breakk.dddddddddddd Buffalo plays the first of two games on back-to-back nights before it breaks for the Olympics. The Sabres will visit the Senators following this contest. The Sabres hope to have halted a seven-game slide at home before heading to Ottawa, a skid that was extended with Mondays 3-2 setback to the Edmonton Oilers. Jhonas Enroth made 25 saves, but allowed Matt Hendricks short-handed goal in the third period that proved to be the difference despite the Sabres notching a season-high 44 shots in the game. Steve Ott scored on the power play and Drew Stafford notched a short-handed tally with 56 seconds left in the first period to put Buffalo ahead 2-1, but the Sabres lost for the ninth time in 11 games overall. Stafford scored in his return after missing the previous four games with an upper-body injury, wristing a shot top shelf for his fourth goal and sixth point in his past five games played. "I thought Drew, the way he shot that puck, thats what we want to see," said Buffalo interim coach Ted Nolan said. "Hes a big power forward and hes starting to get his confidence back." The Sabres, last in the NHL with 38 points, lost defenseman Tyler Myers to a lower-body injury and he is day-to-day, though he has not been ruled out for tonight. Wednesday marks the third and final meeting of the season between these clubs and lone clash in Buffalo. The Penguins have outscored the Sabres by a 7-1 margin in taking the first two tests at home, including a 3-0 shutout victory on Jan. 27. Fleury stopped 24 shots for his fourth shutout of the season, while Miller made 31 saves. Fleury is 14-5-2 with a 2.46 goals against average and two shutouts in his career versus the Sabres, while Miller has gone 7-12-3 with a 3.21 GAA when facing the Pens. Pittsburgh has won 11 of the past 15 meetings overall and four of the last five in Buffalo. ' ' '