TORONTO - With just over an hour until the start of Thursdays free agent signing frenzy, Masai Ujiri delivered on a promise he made following last seasons playoff run. Cheap Vapormax Ireland . Greivis Vasquez, the final piece of that puzzle, joined teammates Kyle Lowry and Patrick Patterson in recommitting to the Raptors, agreeing to a two-year, $13 million deal late Wednesday evening. Vasquez, a restricted free agent, became the latest Raptor to re-up with the team he helped lead to a franchise-best 48-win season and division title last year. Bringing him back, along with the rest of the personnel responsible for the clubs resurgence, has been an offseason priority for Ujiri. As far as Im concerned, keeping our core group going forward... those guys are priorities for us, the Raptors GM had said after extending head coach Dwane Casey in May. And if you want to build, I think a team where we have young players, we have to build continuity. When free agency comes, we have to attack our guys first. That he did, taking care of the heavy lifting before the July moratorium period was lifted at 12:01 AM Thursday. With the leagues salary cap set for next season, teams can make their signings official at this time and the Raptors are expected to do so at a media conference in the morning. Vasquez, like Patterson, came to the Raptors in Decembers seven-player swap with Sacramento. The 27-year-old came into his own late into the season as he got closer to 100 percent following an offseason ankle surgery. The fiery Venezuelan sparked his new team with passion and hot shooting, anchoring the second unit and backing up Lowry, also playing alongside him in the backcourt on occasion. Id use the word passionate for Greivis, Casey said back in May. He has stones. Hes probably, truth be told, probably the most confident player on the team. He feels like he can score on LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan in his prime, which is great and you need that. If you tell him, Greivis, run through that window right there, hes going to do it. Now he may look at you a little bit, but hell do it. The versatile fourth-year guard averaged 9.5 points and 3.7 assists in 61 games with Toronto, shooting 39 percent from three-point range, after struggling to fit in as a member of the Kings to begin the season. Often expressing his admiration for the city of Toronto and his desire to return this summer, Vasquez has credited the move from Sacramento as a turning point in his young career. It would be heartbreaking if I dont come back, Vasquez said in his memorable exit interview the day after Torontos postseason elimination. Im an emotional guy, so I really embrace, Im really committed to the team, to the city, to this franchise. Although a $6.5 million annual salary is on the high end for a backup point guard, the Raptors value Vasquez as more than that and the reasonable two-year term allows them to maintain their flexibility leading up to the summer of 2016. Vasquez has proven himself a capable starter in the league, averaging career-highs of 13.9 points and 9.0 assists while finishing second in Most Improved Player voting with New Orleans in 2012-13. Not only can he co-exist with both newcomer Lou Williams and Lowry in the backcourt, but he serves as insurance if the latter were to miss time with an injury. With the NBA salary cap set at just over $63 million for next season, the tax level at $76.8 million, the Raptors figure to have most of their mid-level exception - roughly $5 million - to spend with three open roster spots after completing deals with Vasquez, Lowry, Patterson and rookie Bruno Caboclo, who was signed to his rookie scale contract Wednesday afternoon. Vapormax Flyknit Womens Ireland . - Chicago Bears general manager Phil Emery was so busy in free agency he didnt mind having a few extra weeks to prepare for the draft. Vapormax Plus Wholesale . The 25-year-old Brazilian player has only made four Premier League appearances for United this season and underwent a medical test in Italy on Friday. http://www.outletvapormaxireland.com/vapormax-flyknit-wholesale-china.html . In fact, with a few improvements, this could very well be a decent team over the next few seasons. I will go into more detail when digging into the Canucks Off-Season Game Plan, which will be coming earlier this year since they are part of the non-playoff contingent, there are some reasons to think this is a favourable situation for President of Hockey Operations Trevor Linden and whomever he selects to be the new general manager.MONTREAL – One by one did they file off the ice at the Bell Centre as Max Pacioretty and the Montreal Canadiens celebrated victory just steps away from the since-vacated crease of Jonathan Bernier. The good saw the Maple Leafs pick up at least a point for the 14th time in the past 16 games (11-2-3), the bad saw opportunity to draw even with a division rival foiled on yet another blown third period lead. Rather than depart the grand old city of Montreal with a share of second place in the Atlantic division, Toronto heads home three points back of their Original-Six rival with an eye on what went well and what mightve been. "Were disappointed to not get the other one," said Dion Phaneuf of the point lost in overtime. "But we did a lot of good things." The effort was vastly improved from a post-Olympic dud in Long Island two nights earlier, one that saw them dribble away a pair of third period leads before falling in the extra frame to a struggling Islanders squad. It didnt start well. Montreal scored twice on this night before the Leafs had even managed a shot on goal in what was a sluggish opening frame for both teams. But from there, the visitors gradually wrestled some control of the hockey game, scoring three unanswered, all from the scorching duo of James van Riemsdyk and Phil Kessel. Kessel broke a 2-2 tie with his 33rd of the year – the second of two in a span of just over two minutes – dancing around Pacioretty just outside the Montreal blue-line before beating Peter Budaj with a laser far-side. "We came back from it," said head coach Randy Carlyle of the early deficit. "We found ways to create offence and I thought we had a majority of the puck time probably from the second period on so there were a lot of positives in the game." Just as they failed to do against the Islanders, the Leafs could not hold a third period lead, this one of increased importance opposite a foe just steps ahead in the playoff race. Tim Gleason took the first of three consecutive (and certainly contested) Toronto penalties, whistled for interference on Brian Gionta along the wall in the defensive zone. The maneuver (one that drew ire from Carlyle) proved costly as P.K. Subban fired a one-time blast short-side beyond Bernier, evening the score at three. "We had a one-goal lead and we took three straight penalties," said Carlyle afterward. "Now we can challenge the validity of the penalties one way or another, but we took three straight penalties." The last of which was just as unlikely as the two that preceded it. Racing out of his crease to protect a puck that was up for grabs, Bernier was dealt a delay of game offence, the second of two such penalties for the Leafs in overtime. After wiping out the first to Kessel, the Toronto penalty kill could not ultimately hold the fort, surrendering a second power-play goal to the Canadiens. Subban loaded up in this instance for another one-time blast, only his stick shattered, the puck squirting to Andrei Markov and eventually Pacioretty in the slot for the overtime winner. It was the summation of a brief, two-game road trip that could have and (probably should have considering the circumstance) yielded a full four points, valuable points lost in an ever-tightening playoff race. And so while they could point to the good of the evening, there was certainly an undercurrent of what was actually lost and that was an opportunity to catch the Habs. "We turned the tide of the hockey game in our favour for the majority of it and were going to take the positives out of it and move on," said Carlyle. "Were .500 on the road (trip) which in this situation isnt great – wed like to have won both hockey games in our minds, but this is the way it goes." Five Points 1. Dynamic Duo They sizzled before the Olympics, during the Olympics and now after the Olympics. Kessel, who had a goal and an assist for the third straight game, continues to boil at a heat hes never before attained in the NHL. The 26-year-old now has 13 goals and 31 points in the past 17 games and 17 points in the past nine games alone. "Ive said it for quite a few years now that Ive played with him, I think hes one of the top players in the National Hockey League," said Phaneuf. "Hes proving it year and year again that hes extremely skilled (and) he can put the puck in the net with the best of the goal-scorers in the NHL. I think that hes having a tremendous year and hes a huge part of our team and why weve had success." Tied for the Olympic lead in scoring and now with 69 points this season, Kessel is alone in second place to Sidney Crosby in the scoring race. He is four goals from matching a soon-to-be broken career-high of 37. James van Riemsdyk meanwhile continues to fly himself. The 24-year-old, who matched a career-high with three assists in Long Island and finished third in Olympic scoring, scored twice against Montreal. His first of the night and second shorthanded marker this season was a thing of beauty. Racing past Subban on a failed Markov feed, he burst in alone on Budaj, tucking a nifty backhand through the five-hole. "At first I wasnt even sure if I was going to even go for it, but I realized that they looked pretty tired and just kind of took off and went from there," he said. Totaling 52 points on the year, van Riemsdyk is up to 24th in the scoring race. 2. Officiating Concerns Carlyle didnt hide his displeasure with the officials after the Pacioretty goal, barking at them as he left the ice in defeat. What stuck most in his craw was the call on Gleason which preceded Subbans game-tying goal. The 31-year-old Gleason stepped in the way of Gionta just ahead of the puck and was hauled off for it. "I was under the impression that if it was one one-thousand yoou could take the players body if the player tries to make a play on it," Carlyle said. Vapormax Flyknit Ebay Ireland. "I just said how do you call that in a 3-2 game and I figured I really didnt even hit him, I just kind of one-armed (him)," said Gleason of his conversation with the officials afterward, not having seen the replay himself. Further concerns were raised when Kessel was called for delay of game in the final moments of regulation. He attempted to ring a puck off the glass – and did in the minds of his teammates – but was called for the penalty anyway. "Maybe youd like to see that video review for that because you cant get that wrong at that time of the game," said van Riemsdyk. "Its definitely a tough one. Couple other ones that were a little debatable." The last in dispute saw Bernier jump out of his crease in overtime, snatching hold of a loose puck from Daniel Briere and freezing play. "I havent been called for that ever I guess," said the 25-year-old. "I dont even know whats the rule, how far you can actually get it and freeze it." The rule in this case is clear (63.2). "If the goalkeeper races out of his crease in an attempt to beat the attacking player to the puck and instead of playing the puck jumps on the puck causing a stoppage of play, this shall be a minor penalty for delay of game." 3. Slight Dip Jonathan Bernier entered the Olympic break on a roll, winning five of his last six starts while stopping 105 of the final 109 shots he faced. But in two starts post-Olympics he has looked rather ordinary, yielding five goals to the Islanders on Thursday (without much help) and four more to his hometown Canadiens on Saturday. "I thought it was actually a tough game for me," he said of a rare night with fewer than 30 shots against, Montreal mustering just 29. "They had a lot of bodies in front of me. They were hitting me quite a bit. It was a tough game. And thats one thing that when youre away from the game thats the hard part for a goalie is to find that seam and find that puck through traffic." Never in his NHL career has Bernier played as much as he has this season for the Leafs, starting his 40th game on Saturday. His performance as the no. 1 down the stretch under such strain will certainly be worth monitoring and key for a club that has relied on great goaltending from the Laval, Quebec native on many a nights. 4. Bollands Mountain Climb Dave Bolland missed his 47th game Saturday because of a once-severed and now healing tendon in his left ankle. The four-month recovery process has been taxing on the 27-year-old, who is close to a return, but not quite there yet. "Its sort of a slow mountain climb for me this whole rehab," said Bolland. "Its been painful and slow and grueling. Im ready to get back on the ice as soon as possible." Bolland is listed as day-to-day and according to head coach, Randy Carlyle, is at the stage where he, the player, will decide when exactly he is ready to return. For the Mimico native, who played in 15 games for the Leafs in October, its about being up to speed with the fundamentals, areas such as being strong in the corners and fully able to handle defensive responsibilities at full speed. "I dont want to be a liability out there when transition comes around and Im the one thats last getting back and I cant back-check because of my ankle," he said. "I want to be sure that when Im out there Im going at a 100 per cent and Im ready to play." He doesnt appear to be at that point yet, even suffering a setback in practice earlier in the week. "Thats just the way these injuries heal," Carlyle said. "Its a severe injury to a vital part in his body, specifically a tendon in his foot. When you put a skate on it, theres a lot more complications than just you and I walking around. Hes putting skates on and putting a lot of pressure in that area. "Basically its up to him. Hes got to be the guy that tells us hes ready to go." 5. Hollands Lace-Bite It was the final game of January and Peter Holland played 11 minutes in a 6-3 win over Florida. He was in pain the whole night, but didnt think much of it. "I went to sleep and woke up in the morning and could hardly put any weight on it," Holland said of his foot. The 23-year-old had suffered from lace bite before (which causes pain from skates being too tight) but nothing quite like this. "It was just released as lace-bite but it ended up getting pretty badly infected," said Holland, recalled by the Leafs for Saturdays game against the Canadiens. "I was in the hospital for four or five days with an IV in my arm trying to look after it. It was pretty painful for a while there. I was on crutches (and) in a walking boot and couldnt put too much weight on it." Holland missed four games with the injury before being assigned to the Toronto Marlies for two games. He played just under 12 minutes against Montreal, centering a line with Mason Raymond and Nik Kulemin. Stats-Pack 31 – Points for Phil Kessel in the past 17 games. 14-14 – Goal differential between the Leafs and Canadiens this season. 30:34 – Ice-time for Dion Phaneuf on Saturday, a season-high. 13-6-3 – Toronto record versus the Atlantic division. 11-2-3 – Record the past 16 games. 11 – Goals in the past 17 games for James van Riemsdyk, who has a career-high of 26 so far this season. Special Teams Capsule PP: 0-3Season: 21.4% (4th) PK: 3-5Season: 77.5% (28th) Quote of the Night "Weve had lots of those lessons. The teachers tired sometimes of bringing the same lesson." -Randy Carlyle, speaking of his teams performance in Long Island ahead of the game in Montreal. Up Next The Leafs return home to host the Blue Jackets on Monday night. ' ' '