This will give you an idea

Out since November 2nd with a severed tendon in his left ankle, David Bolland was at practice on Wednesday, though he was skating as an extra and not featured on any of the four forward lines. Ian Happ Jersey . While he is making progress, Bolland admitted things are not moving as quickly as he would like. "Things are going, things are progressing," said Bolland. "Not as quickly as I wish they were, but things are progressing." Coach Randy Carlyle suggested last Thursday that there was a 50-50 chance Bolland could return prior to the Olympic break, but with just two games remaining for the Leafs before the two week hiatus, nothing is set in stone. "Well see," Bolland said when asked if a return before the break was a possibility. "Things are progressing, so well see how they go." At this point, Bollands biggest limitations occur in transition when he is required to change directions abruptly. "Its crossing over, getting on that ankle, putting weight on it and stressing that tendon," Bolland explained. "Thats the biggest thing, the transition in the game when youre going down on a three on two and the puck gets poked off your stick and you have to go back the other way, that quick transition of turning on a dime and getting back. Its that tendon that you have to use to turn and progress off that. Its getting stronger, its getting there but its just not elevating like I want it to." Now over three full months since the injury occurred, Bolland is still resigned to the fact that he will experience pain in the ankle, likely for several more months to come. "You feel pain, you feel stress, and I did cut a tendon so it went right through the muscle, right through the tendon, right through everything, almost down to the bone," he said. "Im going to feel pain; its going to be like that for the rest of this year and maybe some of the summer." Whether he returns or not in the next two games, Bolland will not be taking the Olympic break off. Instead, he intends to return to London to skate with the Knights, his former junior club and continue wearing the new skate boot that he had custom designed to support his injury. "Ill have to use that new skate for a while, probably for the rest of my career," said Bolland. "Ive got a big bulge on the side of my ankle that sticks out, bigger than my other ankle so its going to be with me for the rest of my life. Ill probably use that skate until Im done." An unrestricted free agent this summer, the injury has prevented Bolland from raising his stock with a solid year, playing in just 15 games to this point. More concerned with getting back into the line up than worrying about a new contract, he indicated that his past resume should speak for itself. "I dont know if Im missing anything, I think in the past few years Ive won two Stanley Cups," said Bolland. "Ive been to the finals and know what its like to get there; Ive been through those battles so I dont think this should hinder any kind of contract. I think they know what I do and what kind of heart I have out there." Ernie Banks Jersey . Early in the first period, Stuart pinched in from the blue line, hit Nash and was assessed a minor penalty for elbowing. Nash remained in the game for the rest of the first period, but did not return for the second. Jason Heyward Jersey . This has become the Raptors mantra as they embark on a new era with a new regime and, in the not-so-distant future, a new image.What would you think of a general manager whos had a losing record everywhere hes been? Would you forgive him for making arguably the worst trade in franchise history? Would you hire him if you had the chance? Of course you would, in a "New York" second!  At least if his name was Dave Dombrowski. Let me explain. Dombrowski was hired to be the Montreal Expos GM back on July 5, 1988. At 31 he was the youngest general manager in the game. At that point in their history, the Expos had only made it to the postseason once back in the strike split 1981 campaign. The pressure was on to get back to the "promise land" and it was believed the Expos were just one ace pitcher away from getting there. Less than a year after being hired Dombrowski pulled the trigger on a five-player deal with the Seattle Mariners on May 25, 1989. He got his ace in lefty Mark Langston along with a prospect for pitchers Gene Harris, Brian Holman and some guy named Randy Johnson. You might remember him, a flame throwing lefty, a 610" tower of power who had trouble finding the strike zone. Though Langston pitched well going (12-9) the rest of the way, Montreal didnt make the playoffs and Langston signed with the Angels as a free- agent after that season.  Johnson, meanwhile, blossomed into a superstar and went on to a Hall of Fame career. Making trades like that can dog a guy for the rest of his career, but Dombrowski was only getting started. In September 1991, he became general manager of the expansion Florida Marlins. By 1997, the Marlins had won their first World Series thanks in part to the open vault approach of owner Wayne Huizenga, who just as quickly ordered Dombrowski to dismantle the team after the 1997 triumph. Dombrowski was gone by the time the Marlins won their second World Series in 2003, but it was organization and the team he helped build. The Blue Jays were interested in hiring Dombrowski in 2001, but he chose the Detroit Tigers where he became club President as opposed to GM. But that didnt last very long. After the Tigers dropped their first six games in 2002, he immediately fired GM Randy Smith and manager Phil Garner and assumed the general managers title for himself. The next couple of years were rough, especially 2003 when the Tigers lost a Major League record 119 games breaking the All-time mark of the woeful 1962 New York Mets. By 2006 though, the farm system was flourishing, the right deals were made and Tigers made it to the World Series for the first time since 1984. Though they lost the Fall Classic in five games to the St. Louis Cardinals, the Tigers were back as a team that would be factor in the American League for the foreseeable future. They made it again to the World Series in 2012 under Jim Leyland but lost again, this time to the San Francisco Giants in four straight. But its not just the World Series appearances that intrigue you about Dombrowski. Its the way he constructs the "monster deal." In less than seven years, he has pulled off four career defining deals, that are arguably four of the biggest completed over that time span. It started on December 4, 2007, when he picked up Miguel Cabrera, who would become a two-time Triple Crown champ and lefty Dontrellle Willis from his old club in Florida for six prospects none of whom are with the Marlins now, though one lefty reliever Andrew Miller was dealt by the Boston Red Sox to the Baltimore Orioles at this years non- waiver trade deadline. John Lackey Jersey. Two years later on December 8, 2009, he may have pulled off the biggest trade of the bunch in a three-way swap with the Arizona Diamondbacks and the New York Yankees. The haul: a former first round draft pick of the D-Backs Max Scherzer who would go on to win the Cy Young award four years later, pitcher Dan Schlereth, reliever Phil Coke and centre field prospect Austin Jackson from the Yankees. Detroit sent right hander Edwin Jackson to Arizona and centre fielder Curtis Granderson to the Yankees. The Yankees completed the swap by sending right hander Ian Kennedy to Arizona. This past off-season, Dombrowski was able to pull off a more modest one-for-one deal with the Texas Rangers. This one allowed the Tigers to send the onerous contract of Prince Fielder to the Rangers for second baseman and top of the order hitter Ian Kinsler. Dombrowski had no way of knowing Fielder would break down and require neck surgery that would knock him out for basically all of the 2014 season, but it turned this deal into a steal. That leads as to this years non-waiver trade deadline. After Oaklands Billy Beane had acquired ace lefty Jon Lester from Boston along with Jonny Gomes, for slugging outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, Dombrowski played his trump card and picked up former Cy Young winning lefty David Price from the Tampa Bay Rays in a three-way swap with the Rays and the Seattle Mariners. The price tag, no pun intended wasnt nearly as steep as you might have expected. Seattle got centre fielder Austin Jackson from Detroit. The Rays wound up with Tigers lefty Drew Smyly, Mariners middle infielder Nick Franklin and a prospect. You could argue Dombrowski won all four of those blockbuster deals. As mentioned off the top, Dombrowski has had a losing record with each team he has been the GM of, though there were extenuating cash flow problems at times in Montreal and Florida. His career record as a general manager is a meager 905-975 with about eight weeks to go in the 2014 season. But who would argue that he hasnt put together a Hall of Fame resume and maybe this will be the year he joins the elite group of general managers whove won World Series in both leagues. *** Interesting stat in the Buffalo News this week; the Bisons have made 194 roster moves this season, and that was before the Blue Jays called up reliever Chad Jenkins this week. That is a modern franchise record. The Bisons are in an all-out playoff push and last made the post season in 2005. This will give you an idea of how important that 21-9 month was to the Blue Jays. They are only (27-26) since June 1st. Still the Jays are holding down that second Wild Card slot and are just a 1.5 game back of first place Baltimore in the AL-East. The upcoming home stand starting Tuesday night against Baltimore and continuing through next week versus Detroit is the most important August stand in two decades. Thats where the real playoff push begins. ' ' '