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GLENDALE, Ariz. – The Phoenix Coyotes, as they were known then, were flying back from Colorado after their final game of the preseason in 2007 when the head coach, arguably the greatest player in NHL history, summoned two rookies for a chat. Craig Weller was 26 at the time. He was joined by 22-year-old, Daniel Winnik, the former University of New Hampshire centre unlikely to even be there as the longest of long shots, the 265th overall pick of the 2004 draft. Wayne Gretzky, then in his second last season behind the bench with Phoenix, was there to tell them both that they would be NHL players for the first time. Winnik could hardly contain his excitement. “I don’t even know how much time was left in the flight,” he recalled, “but I just couldn’t wait to get off the plane and tell my parents. I woke them up at like three in the morning eastern time.” Back in the state of Arizona more than seven years later Winnik is playing maybe the best hockey of his career, by far the biggest early surprise of the Maple Leafs season. Not only is he tied for third in team scoring (despite zero power-play time), boasting strong possession numbers and providing a forceful presence on the penalty kill, but he’s been on the ice for just a single even-strength goal against in more than 141 minutes – some of that no doubt attributed to the luck of a .985 on-ice save percentage. “You obviously still want to get better, but yeah I feel like I’m playing some of my best hockey I’ve ever played right now that’s for sure,” said Winnik, who has seven points in 11 games, coming off a career-high of 30 points with Anaheim last year. Winnik has proven a reliable safety valve of sorts for head coach, Randy Carlyle, someone to plug in all over the lineup (on either wing and even at centre) to positive effect. “It seems to mesh well with some of our top guys,” Winnik said of his responsible, two-way game. Big, strong and energetic up the ice and in the corners, Winnik helped drive the play early alongside Nazem Kadri and Joffrey Lupul before taking the spot of the injured Lupul with Kadri and Phil Kessel more recently. In what was his 500th career NHL game in Columbus last week – an unlikely feat for a ninth round pick – and first with Kessel, Winnik scored his first goal as a Leaf and added two assists. The next night he set up Kadri for Toronto’s first goal and was among the three forwards Carlyle turned to in the final moments of a nervous one-goal victory over Chicago. And though they gave up a pair of power-play goals to the Blackhawks, Winnik has generally helped to stabilize a penalty kill that was amongst the worst in hockey last season. He is third among all NHL forwards in shorthanded ice-time per game. Leo Komarov, his partner in such duties, calls him “the boss”. In short, he’s offered the Leafs a good bit of versatility, the ingredient he believes is responsible for a stretch in the league not many ninth round picks can speak of. That versatility didn’t take until he actually left the desert landscape of Phoenix. Winnik was strictly a fourth-line guy with penalty killing duties under Gretzky’s replacement, Dave Tippett, but when he was dealt to the Avalanche in 2010 his role expanded under then-bench boss, Joe Sacco. Winnik called the trade to Denver a “blessing in disguise”. Sacco paired him with the teams teenage second round pick, Ryan O’Reilly – whom Winnik believes is still “really underrated” – and the two hit it off. Winnik was suddenly finding more of an offensive game, chipping in with 11 goals in his first season with the Avs – whom the Leafs will visit on Thursday. “Getting the chance in Colorado really helped me out a lot to show other teams that I’m not just a fourth-line guy that can penalty kill,” Winnik said. On pace right now for more than 50 points, Winnik’s production may slow some. His PDO (an analytic measuring luck) is the highest on the team and is likely to come down some. Regardless, he’s offered and will likely continue to offer the Leafs much-needed versatility. And as one of the club’s inexpensive, low-risk buys this past summer, Winnik is proving great value for one year at $1.3 million. Air Jordan 1 Mid Yellow Toe Black Mens .Brady threw a 69-yard touchdown pass to Julian Edelman midway through the fourth quarter, and New England beat the San Diego Chargers 23-14 for its eighth win in nine games. Fake Jordan 1 Black . 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