for two years so Im pretty familiar, but hes pretty

There were rumours throughout the NHL season that the Minnesota Wild would be a free agent destination for a particular top goal-scoring winger and, when free agency opened, they got their man. Numbers Game looks at the Wild signing Thomas Vanek. The Wild Get: LW Thomas Vanek. Vanek, 30, has been one of the most prolific goal-scorers in the game. Since 2006-2007, his 252 goals ranks fourth, behind Alex Ovechkin, Jarome Iginla and Ilya Kovalchuk. Vanek is a four-time 30-goal scorer who has scored at least 20 goals in each of the last nine seasons. Only Ovechkin and Rick Nash have managed that same feat. So, with that goal-scoring resume, Vanek should have been incredibly appealing as a free agent, but there was the small matter of his slump in the playoffs that left a sour taste for some. Vanek had eight points in 10 games, through Game Six of the Boston series, but fell flat after that, managing two assists and a total of eight shots on goal in the next seven games. He played under 15 minutes in each of his last eight playoff games. For a season in which he played a career-high 19:21 per game, with the Sabres, Islanders and Canadiens, that role reduction made it clear that Vanek would be moving on from Montreal. This following a season during which he scored 15 points in 18 games with the Habs, giving him 68 points in 78 games while moving around the Eastern Conference. Which brings us to Minnesota, which had been linked to Vanek pretty much from the get-go of his contract year. Vanek played college hockey at the University of Minnesota. His wife is from Minnesota. The Wild would have Dany Heatleys $7.5-million cap hit coming off the books. Former Sabres teammate Jason Pominville was playing well for Minnesota. It was all lining up for Vanek with the Wild. Ultimately, nothing really changed that. Maybe a great playoff would have given Vanek more leverage on the open market, but he didnt sign a break-the-bank deal, inking for $19.5-million over three years. The $6.5-million annual cap hit is actually less than Vaneks previous contract, but when a player has a preferred destination, and particularly when he has earned a boatload of money in his career already (more than $57-million in his career, according to Cap Geek), there is an opportunity for a team to get him for less than the top price on the market. That Vanek was willing to accept a three-year term is a clear indication that Minnesota was his preferred location. When it comes to his game, Vanek doesnt use his size (6-foot-2, 205 pounds) very effectively, aside from when hes in front of the net, where he positions well for tip-ins, deflections, screens, etc. Throughout his career, Vanek hasnt been much of a puck possession player, varying up and down a little bit in relative terms from year to year, but Vanek has always been a high-percentage finisher in his own right and consistently had high on-ice shooting percentages (which includes others on the ice with him in 5-oin-5 play), so hes going to bring offence to Minnesota. Depending on how the Wild want their lines to shake out, Vanek should have either Mikael Granlund or Mikko Koivu -- two pass-first playmaking centres -- setting the table for him and if Vanek is getting opportunties -- he had a career-high 3.18 shots on goal per game last season -- take 25 goals to the bank, with 30 or 35 possible at the top end. This is a nice upgrade for the Wild, who made some noise in the playoffs and have added a premier goal-scorer to their mix and have done so without spending too much in order to get him. 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. Cheap Adidas Shoes . Rockhold." Known as an aggressive striker, Belfort (23-10) instead paced himself as the engaged in the early going and showed restraint by not overcommitting against the larger Rockhold (10-2). But when the opportunity presented itself, Belfort delivered an incredible spinning heel kick that landed flush on Rockholds chin and sent him toppling to the floor. Adidas Outlet Ireland .J. Ward appeared in court Friday on misdemeanour charges that he threw a glass mug at a bartender at a Denver strip club. http://www.cheapadidasshoesireland.com/. - The Oakland Athletics have finalized an agreement on a 10-year extension to play at the Coliseum through the 2024 season. Buy Adidas Shoes Ireland . The Vancouver coach and an announced sellout crowd of 18,910 watched in dismay as the Canucks lost 7-4 to the New York Islanders on Monday night by squandering a 3-0 lead in the third period. Adidas Shoes Online Ireland . The former central defender calmly nodded it down and quietly went about celebrating a win with his staff. For a man who has had a lot on his shoulders this season, it was an appropriate moment.Call it the Romo Factor.Seems like everyone has tunnel vision on Dallas quarterback Tony Romo heading into the Cowboys game Sunday with Arizona. It might also be a good idea to focus on the Cardinals, who have the NFCs best record at 6-1 and despite injuries of their own are finding ways to prosper.Sure, Romos injury is a big story in Big D and elsewhere, particularly after he injured his back on national television last Monday night — then returned to the game. His status being uncertain for this huge matchup deserves some headlines, as well.And so do the Cardinals (6-1). The previous time they had sole possession of the best record in NFC this late in an NFL season was Week 11 of 1974. They lived in St. Louis then and were 7-0.This superb start has occurred despite a slew of injuries.Clutch performances and brilliant coaching have been at the heart of Arizonas success.Realizing all the negative things that happened and we still keep getting wins, I do think we have a good swagger about us, a confidence, and that will continue to live if we keep winning, quarterback Carson Palmer said.To improve their spotless conference record to 5-0, the Cardinals must slow down Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray. He has an NFL record eight straight 100-yard rushing games to start season.But the Cardinals havent allowed a 100-yard rusher in 17 straight outings.Wow! said Cowboys play caller Scott Linehan. No, I know theyre good. I didnt know what the streak was. They know where theyre rated defensively. We obviously respect our opponent greatly. But we spend a lot more talking about what we want to get done regardless what theyve done or theyve been able to do, and I think you focus on that and what our goal is, then I think its a better way to approach it as far as the teams mindset and focus.The action began this week with New Orleans romping 28-10 at Carolina on Thursday night. The Saints (4-4) won on the road for the first time to move atop the NFC South for the first time this season. The Panthers (3-5-1) have lost three straight.Mark Ingram ran for two TDs and Drew Brees rushed for one and threw to Jimmy Graham for another.Off this week are Atlanta (2-6), Buffalo (5-3), Chicago (3-5), Detroit (6-2), Green Bay (5-3), and Tennessee (2-6).Denver (6-1) at New England (6-2)Yet another classic might be in store in the Peyton Manning-Tom Brady rivalry, the longest and best between two brilliant quarterbacks that the modern NFL has seen.Heres an added twist: Sunday is the first game in NFL history matching quarterbacks with more than 150 regular-season wins.Brady, now 37, is 10-5 against Manning, now 38, including 8-3 in the regular season. Brady has led the Patriots to three straight wins over Denver in the regular season, two of those with Manning at the Broncos helm.Both are playing lights-out recently, and Manning is tied for the longest streak in NFL history with 13 games of two or more TD passes.Maybe when Im his age, Ill be playing as well as that, cracked Brady.Thats the cold, hard facts, Manning replied.Baltimore (5-3) at Pittsburgh (5-3)One more terrific matchup, this one between nasty AFC North rivals. The Ravens beat the Steelers in Week 2 and dont mind going to Heinz Field, where theyve won three of the past four meetings.Nor does Baltimore mind entering November, in which coach John Harbaugh is 20-7.The Steelers come off a record-setting victory over Indianapolis, 51-34. Ben Roethlisberger set club marks with 522 yards passing and six touchdowns, and his ace receiver, Antonio Brown, has at least five receptions and 80 yards receiving in each of the first eight games.Jacksonville (1-7) at Cincinnati (4-2-1)The Jaguars might have found an offensive star, and its not rookie QB Blake Bortles. Running back Denard Robinson — you might remember him as a quarterback at Michigan — has rushed for more than 100 yards in each of the past two games. Cincinnatis defence ranks 29th against the run.While the Bengals are eager to get back standout receiver A.J. Green from his toe injury, they too have some budding brilliance on offence. WR Mohamed Sanu had a career-high 125 yards on five catches last week and leads the Bengals with 35 catches for 533 yards and three TDs. He also has run three reverses for 31 yards and completed two passes for 68 yards and a TD.Mos been playing great, quarterback Andy Dalton said. I have a lot of confidence in him, and he has a lot of confidence in himself that hes going to make plays.Inddianapolis (5-3) at New York Giants (3-4), Monday nightNo more Peyton vs.dddddddddddd Eli, yet still an intriguing matchup with Andrew Luck running Indys offence. The Colts had their five-game winning streak shattered to the tune of 51-34 at Pittsburgh, but Luck has passed for at least 300 yards in six straight games, surpassing Peytons longest streak in Colts history.New York comes off a bye and two straight road losses.Philadelphia (5-2) at Houston (4-4)Philly could use some better decision making by quarterback Nick Foles, but hes also been quite productive. In last Sundays tight loss at Arizona, he set a team mark with 36 completions and had his third career 400-yard passing game last week. But hes also been picked nine times after being intercepted only twice in 2013.Worth watching in this one will be Houstons dynamic defensive end, J.J. Watt, and how much top overall draft pick LB Jadeveon Clowney can contribute in his second game back from arthroscopic knee surgery that cost him six games.St. Louis (2-5) at San Francisco (4-3)While the injury-ravaged Rams were further battered in last weeks loss to Kansas City — LT Jake Long now is gone for the season — the 49ers were off. Doesnt quite seem fair.These teams met three weeks ago, when the Niners rallied from a 14-point deficit.Watch for 49ers RB Frank Gore, who has 1,229 yards rushing against St. Louis, the most by any player against the Rams in NFL history.Oakland (0-7) at Seattle (4-3)Yes, the Seahawks havent looked much like a championship team, so maybe the winless Raiders are the perfect tonic. Seattle barely broke a two-game slide with a last-minute victory at Carolina, needing more late heroics from Russell Wilson. The third-year quarterback led his 12th fourth-quarter or overtime comeback last week, capped by his 23-yard TD pass to Luke Willson with 47 seconds left.The Raiders 0-7 start is their worst since losing the first 13 games of the 1962 season.New York Jets (1-7) at Kansas City (4-3)The Jets have matched the Raiders in several ineptitude departments thus far, including losing seven straight. Hey, their only win was in the opener over Oakland.Mike Vick gets the start at quarterback against the coach who helped resurrect his career in Philadelphia, Andy Reid.Yeah, Mike, you guys know how proud I am of him for the man that he is and the things that hes done to change things around and kind of bounce back, Reid told New York reporters. And then as a football player, I think you probably know that, too. I joked to our media here that hes going to be 50 years old and still be the fastest guy on the field and the best arm on the field.Hes an amazing guy that way. You never slight Michael Vick.San Diego (5-3) at Miami (4-3)Miami is not where the Chargers prosper: their last victory there came on Jan. 2, 1982, in the playoffs. Theyve lost seven road games in a row against the Dolphins.And San Diego comes off two straight defeats, to Kansas City and Denver.The Dolphins have won two straight, road victories against Chicago and Jacksonville. This is the first of four consecutive matchups against winning opponents.Washington (3-5) at Minnesota (3-5)Two teams coming off overtime wins — yes, its happened before, as recently as 2008.Each coach was with the Bengals last year. Mike Zimmer was Cincinnatis defensive co-ordinator before heading to the Vikings; Jay Gruden ran the offence for the Bengals before moving to DC.We competed every day in practice, Gruden said. It was not friendly, usually. Both of us are pretty good competitors and we all wanted to win the drill, definitely ... so we had our share of arguments and tension, but ultimately I have a ton of respect for him.And from Zimmer: I coached with him for two years so Im pretty familiar, but hes pretty familiar with me as well. Hes very innovative, changes a lot from week to week from what they do, tries to use the players to the best of their abilities.Tampa Bay (1-6) at Cleveland (4-3)Another reunion, this one of first-round rookies from Texas A&M. Big difference, though: Tampa WR Mike Evans is a regular, Browns QB Johnny Manziel is a backup.The Bucs rank last in overall offence and defence so far, a huge disappointment in their first season under Lovie Smith.Clevelands first-year head coach, Mike Pettine, has fared much better, but his Browns need a win badly because they have a difficult second-half schedule.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL ' ' '