The 2014 NHL draft class can be forgiven for feeling as though it has a case of middle-child syndrome. Which is to say, the top of this years draft class is not as dynamic or exciting as the 2013 class of Nate MacKinnon, Sasha Barkov, Jonathan Drouin and Seth Jones and its not as strikingly promising as the highly-anticipated 2015 slate of Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin. But it would be a disservice to damn Aaron Ekblad, Sam Reinhart, Sam Bennett, Leon Draisaitl and Michael Dal Colle with faint praise. "They are all very good prospects, theyre all going to play in the NHL, they all should turn out to be very good players for a long time," one NHL scout said. But the draft is all about projection. And where MacKinnon, Barkov and Drouin were projected as first-line forwards and Jones was projected a likely No. 1 defenceman – destined for greatness -- this years crop of forwards is projected more as second liners with defenceman Ekblad perhaps getting "top pairing" billing though not necessarily a future dynamic No. 1. Good, maybe very good, but not necessarily great. The draft is also about question marks and, according to the scouts, even the elite picks this year have a few. And once one gets outside the top five of this years draft, question marks really abound. "There are some really talented kids in this draft, and not just at the top either," an NHL scout said, "but I dont recall a year recently when there were as many question marks. Skilled kids who lack size; players who might have issues with attitude or commitment. It seems to be a really volatile draft. Good luck trying to figure out this one." That said, in the eyes of the scouts, at the top, its rock solid, and, really, it has been all season long. Barrie Colt defenceman Aaron Ekblad is No. 1 on TSNs Top 60 Final Rankings for the 2014 draft, a position hes owned or had a share of since last September. Seven of the 10 scouts surveyed by TSN to compile the rankings had Ekblad at No. 1. No scout surveyed had him outside of the top three. Only two other prospects got first-place votes. No. 2-ranked Sam Reinhart, a centre with the Kootenay Ice, had one and No. 3-ranked Sam Bennett, a centre with the Kingston Frontenacs, had two. "The difference between the top guys this year is not significant," a scout said. "Thats why youre hearing more talk of teams drafting with position in mind." To say nothing of those question marks. For example, as good as the 6-foot-4, 216-pound Ekblad is, some scouts wonder if he an upside greater than being a steady, reliable two-way defender. Is there a dynamic quality there that is usually associated with a potential first overall pick? Barrie head coach Dale Hawerchuk, a former NHL star, doesnt know about dynamic, but he does know impactful, because thats what Ekblad has been from the moment he showed up to Barrie as a 15-year-old who was granted exceptional status by Hockey Canada to enter the OHL a year early. "Hes been a top pair, shutdown defenceman who played against the best players in our league from the day he got here," Hawerchuk said, "and theres no doubt in my mind, none whatsoever, that hes going to be a really good top pair, shutdown defenceman who plays against the best players in the NHL. Hes been impactful since Day 1. He does it all and he does it all consistently and hes going to be a 15 to 20 year top-pair NHL defenceman." This years top prospects earn rave reviews for some specific trait or quality, but the praise is accompanied by a question. Reinharts hockey sense, for example, is widely hailed, elite level, as good as it gets. But will his average speed and size put a second-line ceiling on him or reduce his effectiveness against men? Bennetts complete game – equal parts skill, smarts, spirit, edge and work ethic – is lauded but can an average size centre translate that style to the NHL against men? No. 4-ranked Leon Draisaitl, the Prince Albert Raiders German-born and –trained centre, has a big NHL frame and can make plays but will the lack of a dynamic step keep him from being a first-liner? No. 5-ranked Michael Dal Colle, the Oshawa Generals rangy winger who is equally adept at shooting or making plays, but will his play without the puck be an issue? And yet, for all the questions being asked, scouts concede these five are all good NHL prospects with a strong likelihood of having long NHL careers. But there is a high degree – higher than usual – of subjectivity this year. Nowhere is that more evident than in the players, ranked Nos. 6 through 10 on TSNs list. No. 6-ranked Nick Ritchie, the Peterborough Pete winger, has all the physical tools to be the consummate scoring power forward but theres been a lot of immaturity, inconsistency as well as some injuries in his game. No. 7-ranked Jake Virtanen, the Calgary Hitmen winger, is another who has all the tools to be a scoring power forward but some scouts are a little wary because he tends to get tunnel vision when he has the puck. No. 8-ranked Haydn Fleury, the Red Deer Rebel defenceman, has the size and speed scouts love but he has not established himself as either an offensive defenceman or a punishing defenceman. No. 9-ranked William Nylander, the Canadian-born, Swedish-trained winger, may be the most skilled player in the entire draft class, but scouts worry about a stubborn streak that has often seen him play a more individual than team game. No. 10-ranked Nikolaj Ehlers, the Halifax Mooseheads Danish winger, was as prolific as any prospect this year, scoring 49 goals and 104 points in 67 games, and theres no doubting his skill level, but hes listed at 160 pounds, or as one scout put it, "he has to put on 20 pounds to be considered small." "Its a funny draft," a scout said. "A kid like Ritchie, with his size and skill, or Nylander, with his skill level, could one day be the best of this class but theres some real risk associated with these guys. What if Ritchie doesnt get fully committed to being as good as he can be? What if Nylander just decides hes going to play like hes the only guy on the ice?" Thats always a theme in any draft, but this year it seems to be even more prevalent earlier than ever involving more prospects than usual. Size is certainly on the mind of a lot of teams, especially after the very large Los Angeles Kings won the Stanley Cup. Whether anyone likes it or not, thats the standard by which players are now judged. "I look at these kids and I try to project them playing against the Los Angeles Kings one day," a scout said. "Can they play that game at that level?" Even that exercise can be fraught with peril because two of those outstanding Kings – Tanner Pearson, who went 30th overall in the 2012 draft, and Tyler Toffoli, who went 47th overall in 2010 – were passed over by many teams in their respective draft year because they were perceived as too slow or too weak or too incomplete or too flawed. Go figure. Guelph centre Robby Fabbri (No. 14 on TSNs list) scored 45 goals for the Storm in the regular season, was the OHLs playoff MVP and plays a hard-nosed game for a 5-foot-10 pivot, but will he stand up to the L.A. King litmus test? Ditto for smallish Swiss forward Kevin Fiala, No. 15 on the TSN list, though Fiala had the benefit of playing against men in both the Swedish League and for Switzerland at the World Championships. But no two players represent the uncertain quality of this years draft like the 30th and 31st-ranked Josh Ho Sang of the Windsor Spitfires and Anthony DeAngelo of the Sarnia Sting. Ho Sang is an electrifying, highly-skilled albeit undersized skilled forward who has some very firm ideas on how the game of hockey should be played and how he should play it. First-round talent? Absolutely. Will a team step up and take him in the first round? Thats the fascinating aspect of this draft. So much natural talent; so many question marks. "The question with Ho Sang is whether he wants to be a hockey player or he wants to be an artist or an entertainer," one scout said. "When he plays the give and go game, hes effective and dangerous but a lot of the time he only wants to go, theres no give (the puck to anyone else). Is he going to figure it out? Because if he does, the skills he has…" DeAngelos situation, though, takes it to another level of uncertainty. The American blueliner is undersized at 5-foot-10 and 170 pounds, but he put up 15 goals and 71 points in 51 games for Sarnia. Imagine how many more points he would have registeCLEVELAND -- Former Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar believes he has been unfairly sacked as a TV broadcaster. Kosar has been removed as a colour commentator for Clevelands preseason games by the team. The Browns said Wednesday night he was being replaced by Solomon Wilcots, who will work with play-by-play announcer Jim Donovan. Kosar contends hes been removed because of slurred speech he attributes to "a direct result of the many concussions I received while playing in the NFL." "This is very unfortunate," he said in a statement, "as I believe my football acumen and ability to describe what is happening on the field, has been well received by Cleveland Browns fans." WKYC-TV issued a statement disputing Kosars assertions. "Nowhere in our discussions with Bernie or the Browns has anything ever been said about his speech impairment due to concussions," said Brooke Spectorsky, the stations president and general manager. "That has simply nothing to do with our decision. The Browns are rebuilding their team, and in reviewing our programming weve decided to rebuild as well." The 50-year-old Kosar estimates he has had more than a dozen documented concussions. He has been in pain for more than a decade, but said last year he found some relief through treatments at a wellness facility in Florida. In announcing their decision, the Browns said they were in discussions with Kosar about "potential new roles" on pregame telecasts and on the teams website. "We want Browns fans to look forward to seeing and hearing his continued contributions and analysis," team president Alec Scheiner said. Kosar played for Cleveland from 1985-92 and retired in 1996. The gangly quarterback from Boardman, Ohio, led Cleveland to three AFC title games. He remains one of Clevelands most beloved sports figures. "I love to put the personal touch, pride in the Browns, and pride in our Cleveland community into the broadcast," he said. "Being able to share these preseason games with my fellow Cleveland Browns fans is truly one of the remaining joys in my life. "I would hope that WKYC would reconsider utilizing my in-game talents and overlook my concussion-induced impairment. I want everyone to know that I still bleed Brown and Orange." Spectorsky said Kosar could have a "presence with our broadcast team," possibly during the pregame show. "The goal both for the Browns and for Channel 3 is for Bernie to have a bigger role in all of the new Browns programming thats being done, meaning TV, radio, and online," he said. "It can be a much more valuable role and will enable him to stay involved for a larger part of the season." Last summer, Kosar drew criticism for in-game comments about former St. Louis third-string quarterback Kellen Clemens, the Rams receivers and assistant coach Ray Sherman. St. Louis coach Jeff Fisher said about Kosar: "I lost a lot of respect for him. Its highly unlikely he knew anything about our football team, but felt the need to make those comments. I dont think they were justified." The Browns apologized to the Rams and reprimanded Kosar. Last October, Kosar, who has had other personal problems, was arrested in Solon, Ohio, on drunken driving charges. The police report said he refused to take a field sobriety test. Kosar told an officer he couldnt do so because he has had several operations on his knees and ankles. According to the report, Kosar gave the officer two credit cards when asked to show his drivers license. Kosar had slurred speech and difficulty speaking. Cheap Jerseys From China . Ireland was the last unbeaten side in the championship after France fell to Wales on Friday, and was favoured to end a three-match losing run to England with a side with more than twice as many caps, rampant momentum, and added incentive to celebrate Brian ODriscolls world record-tying 139th test cap. China Jerseys Cheap .Hoffenheim forward Anthony Modeste opened the scoring on a counterattack in the 15th minute, shooting though Jaroslav Drobnys legs after Lewis Holtby lost the ball in midfield. https://www.chinajerseyscheap.us/ . The result was a game-winning, power-play goal. Chiasson snapped a third-period tie and lifted the Dallas Stars to a 3-2 victory on Monday night. Fake China Jerseys . Former San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds made his longshot request of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco. A three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit upheld Bonds conviction in September. China Jerseys Stitched . Giants manager Bruce Bochy told The Associated Press of the decision before NL West-leading San Francisco opened a 10-game homestand Monday night with the first of three games against second-place Arizona.DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Jaye Marie Green increased her lead to nine strokes Saturday in the LPGA Tour qualifying tournament, reaching 25 under after four rounds. The 19-year-old Green, from Boca Raton, had a 5-under 67 on LPGA Internationals Hills Course. She has gone 57 holes without a bogey since dropping a stroke on her 15th hole Wednesday in an opening 62. "I was telling my dad after I shot 10 under on the first day that I wanted to get to 20 under before Sunday because then Ill have a big cushion," Green said. "Today, when I got to 25 under I was like, Shoot, now I want to get to 30 under. Im starting to get a little greedy. But I like having such a cushion, which makes me focus on my game and not so much of the leaderboard." She was 29th on the Symetra Tour money list this year. South Koreas Mi RRim Lee was second after a 69, also on the Hills Course.dddddddddddd She had a course-record 61 on Friday on the Jones Course. The top 20 after the final round Sunday will earn Category 12 status, Nos. 21-45 and ties will receive membership in Category 17, and the other players who made the 72-hole cut will get Symetra Tour status. Tiffany Joh was third at 14 under after a 68 on the Hills Course. Amy Anderson, the 21-year-old former North Dakota State star who won a record 20 college titles, was fourth at 11 under after a 70 on the Hills Course. South Koreas Seon Hwa Lee, a four-time winner on the LPGA Tour, and Kathleen Ekey were 10 under. They shot 70, both on the Hills Course. Cheyenne Woods, Tiger Woods niece, missed the cut. She closed with a 73 on the Hills Course to tie for 102nd at 8 over. ' ' 'red if he hadnt been suspended on three separate occasions this season for either violating the OHLs diversity policy or verbally abusing an on-ice official or, as fate would have it, both. In December of 2013, DeAngelo was suspended five games for violating the leagues diversity policy in a verbal spat with an on-ice official. In January of 2014, he received an eight-game suspension for violating the leagues diversity policy in a verbal exchange with a teammate. Five games after returning from that eight-game suspension, he was suspended two games for (verbal) abuse of an official. Many scouts dont know what to make of DeAngelo. The vast majority of them say the north New Jersey kid, wholl effectively be at "home" for this weeks NHL draft in Philadelphia, is (in spite of size concerns) a first-round talent, a smart, mobile and offensively gifted blueliner. "Look at the talented small defencemen and where theyve been taken in the draft, guys like Ryan Ellis, Ryan Murphy, Derrick Pouliot, even Erik Karlsson," a scout said. "DeAngelo should, on talent, be taken in that 10 to 20 range but Im not sure he will be because of the other stuff." Some of the scouts surveyed by TSN said they wouldnt take DeAngelo at all. Others said he would be a consideration in the second round – talent like that is hard to pass – but a couple did say they wouldnt rule out considering him in the first round. "If you read stuff that people write, I think they go overboard with it because they dont know the details," DeAngelo told the Camden Courier Post. "They think I have character issues. I dont think I have character issues." Interestingly, USA Hockey chose to not invite DeAngelo to its summer evaluation camp for the 2015 U.S. national junior team. Of all the stories in what is expected to be an unpredictable draft, DeAngelos is bound to be one of the most compelling. Hes expected to have upwards of 100 friends and family in attendance Friday night and whether hes chosen or not in the first round will be an intriguing storyline. Getting consensus for the TSN rankings was never more difficult than this year. Outside of perhaps the top 35 to 40, there was no real consensus. Even within the top 30 in the first round, there was a far greater variance from player to player than ever before. TSNs rankings do not take into account the teams order of selection; theres no allowance made for a teams personal or positional preference. These rankings are not so much an evaluation of which players will one day turn into the best NHLers as it is a forecast of what order in the draft this Friday and Saturday these players will reasonably be chosen. The list is determined on a mostly objective formula based on numerical rankings assigned by the scouts interviewed by TSN. Wholesale NHL Jerseys . Heck, we might just miss the BCS. Maybe? It sort of worked out this season. Top-ranked Florida State (13-0) was the only team to get through the regular season unbeaten, and the Seminoles did it in dominating fashion. NHL Jerseys China . - Connor McDavid scored twice and added two assists as the Erie Otters beat the Sarnia Sting 7-3 on Saturday night in Ontario Hockey League action. https://www.chinanhljerseys.us/ . -- Blake Griffin scored 32 points and grabbed eight rebounds, DeAndre Jordan had 14 points and 22 rebounds and the Los Angeles Clippers outlasted the Golden State Warriors 98-96 on Thursday night to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round series. Clearance NHL Jerseys . Coach Jorge Sampaoli resisted naming any major surprises in the list published Tuesday at the site of Chiles football association. Chile is pinning its hopes on the recovery of Vidal. Cheap Adidas NHL Jerseys . -- The Los Angeles Dodgers signed Cuban shortstop Erisbel Arruebarrena to a $25 million, five-year contract Saturday.The Top 10 winning communities from the Kraft Celebration Tour are going head-to-head in an online battle for the total grand prize of $100,000 - new prizing added to this years campaign. Now, its up to Canada to decide which community will win $100,000 in total towards building a better place to play by casting a vote online. Voting is now open at kraftcelebrationtour.ca and closes Tuesday to 11:59pm et. To help Canadians decide which Top 10 winner to vote for, these short videos tell each communitys story and explain how the grand prize will help them build a better place to play (click on each link for videos): • Outdoor skating rink – Montebello, Que. – Tour stop: Friday, Aug. 15 • Community boathouse – Nanaimo, B.C. – Tour stop: Saturday, Aug. 16• Youth activity centre and skate park – St. Andrews, N.B. – Tour stop: Sunday, Aug. 17• Barrhead Curling Club – Barrhead, Alta. – Tour stop: Monday, Aug. 18• Springhill Lions Park – Springhill, N.S. – Tour stop: Tuesday, Aug. 19• Kinsmen Water Park – Prince Albert, Sask. – Tour stop: Wednesday, Aug. 20• Bircchwood Field – Charlottetown, P.ddddddddddddE.I. – Tour stop: Thursday, Aug. 21• Holland Recreation Committee – Holland, Man. – Tour stop: Friday, Aug. 22• Gander Community Tennis Association – Gander, N.L. – Tour stop: Saturday, Aug. 23• The Miracle League of Ottawa – Ottawa, Ont. – Tour stop: Sunday, Aug. 24 Every Top 10 community is awarded a $25,000 prize to building a better place to play and a live broadcast of Canadas #1 sports news program, TSNs SportsCentre, as part of this summers cross-country tour from August 15-24. The grand prize winner will be revealed on SportsCentre on August 25 – the day after the final Kraft Celebration Tour stop. Leading the on-the-road SportsCentre editions on the West side are anchors Darren Dutchyshen and Kate Beirness. The Eastern leg of the Kraft Celebration Tour is led by anchors Jennifer Hedger and, new to the Tour this year, Nabil Karim. RDS joins the Kraft Celebration Tour festivities in Québec, with Luc Bellemare, Michel Laprise and Geneviève Langlois hosting a live broadcast of Sports 30 Le Magazine from Montebello, Que. ' ' '