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TORONTO – On the third-to-last day of July, the Maple Leafs inked one of their key young assets on defence to a five-year contract worth more than $20 million. Given that considerable show of faith theres not much chance Jake Gardiner could have envisioned himself a healthy scratch at any point this season, let alone in the third game. But thats the hand Stuart Percy, Torontos second of two first round picks in 2011, has forced with his early, poised performance in a Leafs uniform. And while impressed with his 21-year-old rookie, head coach Randy Carlyle is doing all he can to keep things in perspective to hold the glare of the big market spotlight off his inexperienced defender, knowing full well that with the ups will come the downs. This NHL has a way of finding its level, said Carlyle after the teams first win in New York on Sunday night, one that saw Gardiner scratched in favour of Percy. And young players, specifically defencemen, historically have a little bit of a lull. We havent saw that yet and were grateful of that. Whats been most noticeable with Percy so far is just how calmly hes handled his initial bid in the NHL – though it is just three games. Hes made mostly cool, confident decisions with the puck, rarely looking overwhelmed by the speed, size and skill of his new opponents, a feat given that he played only one season of AHL hockey. He doesnt really have a panic button, Cody Franson observed. And its not as if Torontos coaching staff has padded him with easy minutes. Instead, theyve utilized him alongside Roman Polak on what is essentially their second pairing. Thats meant a steady diet of shifts in the defensive zone opposite second lines from the Habs, Penguins and Rangers. Throw in some second-duty penalty killing minutes and power-play time and its become evident that Carlyle and company have developed a quick trust with Percy. He made the same kind of impression with the Marlies last season – his first year of pro. It became very apparent to then-head coach and now Leafs assistant Steve Spott and Gord Dineen – who ran the defence and then replaced Spott behind the bench – that Percys smarts and easy abilities with the puck would allow him to play in just about every situation. He earned their trust and comfort in a hurry. Weve been impressed, said Peter Horachek on Monday, the Leafs assistant coach with plenty of experience developing capable young defenders in Nashville. Hes making really good decisions. Hes showing really good hockey sense and poise with the puck. But Horachek also knows that its still far too early to make any grand judgments on Percys potential. Theres been some good, yes, but the mistakes have been there too – if less noticed. Under pressure from the Rangers quick and feisty forward Carl Hagelin on one particular early shift against the Rangers, Percy gave the puck away not once, but twice. New York took advantage with a prime chance from J.T. Miller, one that James Reimer turned aside. Hes got things to learn, Horachek said. Hes got to get a little quicker too with his feet – you can see some of the speed things going on – but hes making really good decisions. Were happy with that. Hes been pretty consistent. Percy found the score-sheet Sunday for a third straight game, finished with a 64 per cent possession mark at even-strength (despite limited offensive zone starts) and played 20 minutes (his ice-time just about identical in three games). Even though he does make the odd mistake out there hes trying to do the right thing and thats a tribute to a young man thats prepared himself over the course of the summer, said Carlyle of Percy, a mild surprise to even make the Leafs roster at training camp. Carlyle, a Norris trophy-winning defender himself, knows the position typically takes years to master with any consistency and sometimes even longer than that. Gardiner is one obvious local example of that process. He blew the doors off in his rookie year, only to ride the wave of inconsistency the following two seasons and even now in his fourth NHL campaign. Morgan Rielly, such a sensation at training camp last fall, experienced a predictable dip in early December and fell out of the lineup for three games – amid World Junior team speculation. Thats just how it goes with young defenders. The most difficult part, Rielly said, of jumping feet-first into the league is how quickly things happen. If you answer that question just by saying the speed, people tend to assume just pure skating speed, said Rielly, but its also how quickly plays happen, how quickly they move the puck. I think that thats the biggest adjustment. As a result, reactions and decisions have to be made more rapidly under increased duress. Theres less time to hold the puck in most cases, too, so you better know where youre going with it and quick. Theres a lot of bang, bang, bang so you have to be able to know whats going on and adjust quickly, he said. Defensively, Franson added, its a much different experience from the American League to the National League. Theyre faster, stronger, and shiftier at the NHL level and theyre at a level like nothing any other league has to offer. ...youre playing against guys like Datsyuk and Crosby, Malkin, and all those guys who can do unlimited things with the puck while being extremely strong on it. You cant just manpower them, said Franson, who is only now coming into his own at age 27. These will be the kind of things Percy encounters as his NHL experience expands. His early push, ultimately, is only a good thing for the Leafs, both in terms of depth and the competition it creates for opportunity. More capable puck-movers, additionally, is something the club could certainly stand to benefit from. Gardiner, meanwhile, was among the last to leave practice Monday, enduring just another step in the rollercoaster development of an NHL defenceman. He wasnt happy to sit out Sundays game in Manhattan, but also understood the state of affairs. We both agreed I wasnt playing like I should be, Gardiner said of his conversation with Carlyle. I sat out, thats how it goes. Tony Gonzalez Womens Jersey . The 90-plus minutes of play are about trends and approach. Len Dawson Jersey . The move will give Hentgen the "time needed to support his family and his fathers current health issues," the Blue Jays said in a release. Hentgen spent 10 of his 14 big-league seasons with the Blue Jays, winning a Cy Young Award in 1996. http://www.thechiefsshoponline.com/Youth-Len-Dawson-Chiefs-Jersey/ . He left in the 4th inning of Saturdays game against the Tigers after experiencing tightness. Reyes and the team still hope that he will be ready for Opening Day in Tampa Bay in one week. Mecole Hardman Chiefs Jersey . He has spent much of his adult life trying to give back to his native South Sudan, the war-torn African nation the Cavaliers forward and his family fled when he was a young boy. Juan Thornhill Jersey . The Red Wings hadnt played the night before. The Boston Bruins had. A month from now, or two months from now, it doesnt matter. But right now it does matter, when you start and you play back to back, its wear and tear on you for sure, Babcock said.AVONDALE, La. -- Ben Martin made his way through most of the TPC Louisiana course with the type of sparse gallery one would expect for a player who had missed seven cuts in his previous nine starts on the PGA Tour. The few who followed him, including his mother, father and wife, were treated to a round never before seen at the current home of the Zurich Classic. Martins 10-under 62 in Thursdays opening round broke the course record by two strokes, highlighted by a chip-in from 55 feet and two birdie putts of 20 feet or more. "It was one of those days you dream about," Martin said. "I started the round with two birdies in a row and they just kept rolling in." Martin birdied 10 holes and made pars on the rest. His final birdie came on his chip with a 54-degree sand wedge on the par-3 17th hole, which hugs a water hazard and was made more difficult by afternoon winds. Martin said the challenges that hole posed led him to take a conservative tee shot with a 5-iron rather than a longer club, and the way the 26-year-old South Carolina native executed his plan exemplified the type of day he had. "That was just managing my game. I knew that hole was into the wind with water left," Martin said. "I felt like short of the green was a pretty easy chip." He certainly made it look that way. "Really, everything was working well," Martin said. "It was just one of those days, just like you draw it up." The previous record at TPC Louisiana was a 64, accomplished many times, including on Thursday, when Andrew Svoboda did it to take a lead that held up until Martin surged past late in the day. Peter Hanson and Sueng-Yul Noh were tied for third at 65. Last weekend, Martin matched his career best with a third-place tie in the RBC Heritage at Hilton Head, S.C. He also finished third in early March in the Puerto Rico Open, but missed four cuts after that. Martin opened the Zurich with a 10-foot birdiee putt, the first of six birdies on the front nine, most set up by approach shots within 10 feet.dddddddddddd One exception was his 26-foot birdie putt on No. 5. He opened the back nine with a 14-foot birdie putt, made a 10-footer on 11 and a 20-footer on 13. Svoboda birdied six of his last nine holes. Like Martin, the 34-year-old Svoboda has never won on the PGA Tour. While much can change with three rounds left, New Orleans has seen its share of maiden tour triumphs. It has happened in six of the past nine years, and 10 of the past 16. "Ill take that stat," Svoboda said. Svobodas best career finish on the PGA Tour is a tie for 15th at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas in October. Hansons round was highlighted by an eagle on the par-4 sixth hole, accomplished with a 6-iron from 183 yards. Erik Compton, Chad Collins and Michael Thompson were tied for fifth at 66, and Jeff Overton, Stuart Appleby and Robert Streb followed at 67. Compton, a two-time heart transplant recipient, spent the early part of the week meeting with children at a New Orleans-area hospital and participated in a junior golf clinic. Although that limited his practice time, he thought it helped his mindset. "It seems to really relax me and really puts things in perspective," Compton said. "I seem to play better during the weeks where I have hospital visits." On the par-5 seventh, his 297-yard drive sailed right of the fairway, crossing a cart path. But he belted a 227-yard shot out of the rough to the foot of the green and two-putted for birdie. He ended his round with a 22-foot birdie putt on nine to briefly put him atop the leaderboard. Compton, also winless on the PGA Tour, said he feels "very comfortable" on New Orleans Pete Dye-designed course. "You have to hit a lot of long iron shots and drive it well here, and those are some of the strengths of my game," he said. ' ' '